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woods2006gal · 10 months ago

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Chapter 04 - I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman

Eight year old Bruce Wayne sits on the swing set. It was a cold and rainy day in Gotham. The weather matched his mood perfectly. He had retreated outside to escape the sad and pitying looks from the adults within Wayne Manor. He looks up upon hearing the soft footsteps. Zoey York climbs onto the empty swing beside him. He had heard about Zoey not talking since the car accident that killed her parents. A silence settles over them.

“Do…do you get to stay here,” Zoey softly questions. Her voice was raspy.

Bruce stares at her. “I thought you couldn’t talk any more.”

Zoey lets out an annoyed breath. “I can talk. I just choose not to.”

“Why?”

Zoey shrugs. “So people leave me alone.”

“Everyone thinks you’re a weirdo,” Bruce tells her. Zoey sighs and jumps down from the swing. She walks away, leaving Bruce alone on the swing set.

The holidays had been relatively normal for the Kent household. Zoey sighs as she walks down the Kent driveway. She had zero desire to do the project that had been assigned in her business class that morning. The project was the research a well known corporation. Companies were randomly assigned. Zoey had been annoyed to be assigned Wayne Enterprises. The last thing she wanted to do was spend anytime researching Wayne Enterprises.

“Sweetheart, is everything okay,” Martha questions when Zoey walks into the house.

“Zoey’s upset that she didn’t get CRC to research in business class,” Clark answers.

Zoey shoots him an annoyed look. “I’m not upset that I didn’t get CRC. I just don’t like the company I got and would rather have a different one. But Mr. Wilson wouldn’t let me switch.”

“Zoey, I’m sure you’ll do a fine job with the company you were assigned,” Martha comforts. She holds up a thick black envelope. “This arrived for you today.”

Zoey takes the envelope. Her name and the address were written in a silver cursive script. She turns over the envelope and sighs seeing the return address was somewhere in Gotham. She had a good idea what this particular envelope contained. Reluctantly, Zoey opens the envelope and her guess is confirmed.

Zoey Stella Carmichael York

is cordially invited to the 50th Annual Wayne Foundation Gala

February 16, 2002

Wayne Manor

Gotham, New Jersey

Please respond no later than January 29, 2002

Zoey turns over the invitation and finds an unfamiliar scrawl in pencil. I’d like for you to come - B

Clark grins. “You should go, Zoey. Maybe you can meet Bruce Wayne and interview him for your paper.”

Zoey shoots Clark an annoyed look. “I highly doubt Bruce would help me.” She bites her lip before turning to Martha. “Can I go?”

Martha sighs. The last thing she wanted to do was disappoint her goddaughter. “Zoey, we can’t afford for you to go to Gotham for a weekend.”

Zoey shifts. “What…what if I talked with Uncle Max and he took care of everything?”

“Jonathan and I would have to talk about it, but I don’t see why not,” Martha answers. Zoey brightly smiles and runs up the stairs.

“Do think Dad is going to agree,” Clark questions.

“I hope so,” Martha tells her son.

~*~

Zoey wrinkles her nose as she looks in the mirror. The tea length, strapless black dress wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. “Are you sure that I can’t wear the lace one,” she questions, motioning to dress she had picked out.

“This is one is boring,” Max points out, coming to stand behind her. Max Carmichael was a tall and slender man, with short sandy brown hair. He places his hands on Zoey’s shoulders. “It’s perfect for the Gala. Don’t worry, we’ll get the other one too. So, are you going to tell me why Bruce invited you? Last time I checked neither of you liked each other.”

Zoey shrugs. “No idea.”

Zoey looks around to make sure no one was paying any attention to the catering truck. Max always had an open bar at the annual Carmichael Fourth of July party. She didn’t really enjoy the party. She hadn’t since her parents died. Too many people kept comparing her to her parents or saying how proud they would be of her. She hated it. Zoey takes another glance around her before grabbing a bottle of Jim Beam out of the cardboard box. She quickly makes her way into the woods.

She knew the path to the original Carmichael family home like that back of her hand. It was an old cabin that had been built not long after her great-great-great grandfather, Elijah Carmichael, had started to garner some success with the first Rosewood hotel in Star City. Zoey learned about the cabin from her mother. Shannon had been the one to show Zoey where it was.

Zoey twists open the bottle and takes a swig of the amber liquid. The whiskey stung as it made its way down. She coughs. She raises the bottle of take another swig. A twig snaps. Zoey turns to find Bruce Wayne. She hadn’t been aware that he had been following her.

Zoey couldn’t stand Bruce. Every year Max invited Bruce to the party. And every year, Bruce would decline the innovation. Until this year for some reason. Max had been thrilled. Zoey had been dismayed. Max had purposely sat Zoey and Bruce next to each other. She didn’t know why but Max had made it his mission to play matchmaker between Zoey and Bruce.

“Leave me alone,” Zoey tells him.

Bruce ignores her, moving closer. The only reason he was at the party was to make Alfred stop nagging him. ‘It is up to you to keep the relationship between the Waynes and Carmichaels alive. The relationship goes back one hundred and fifty years, Master Wayne,’ the butler would constantly remind him. Bruce, on the other hand, didn’t care. He thought Max was too pushy at times. And Zoey…well, he still thought she was the over achieving weirdo who refused to speak to anyone for two years. Well, except for the one time at his parents’ funeral.

“Look who’s actually talking now,” Bruce says, grabbing the bottle out of her hand. “And drinking.”

Zoey glares. She reaches for the bottle, but he holds it out of her reach. “Give it back.” He takes a swig before handing her the bottle. She grabs it and continues towards the cabin. Bruce follows her. He was curious to know where she was going.

Zoey picks up her pace. She didn’t want him to know where she was going. Her foot catches on a tree branch. She starts to fall forward. Bruce quickly catches up to her. He grabs her arm and yanks her against his chest. She turns to face him, ready to tell him off. He doesn’t miss the fact that her breasts are pressed against him. The short sundress she was wearing hugged in the right ways. She definitely wasn’t built like the girls he was used to.

Thunder erupts. Zoey moves back from him. She didn’t want to let him know that she had actually enjoyed being pressed against him. That she had noticed how firm yet soft he felt. Rain pours down on them. Zoey grabs his hand. “Come on,” she yells, then takes off in the direction of the cabin.

Bruce stands there for a moment before following her. By the time they reach the cabin, they’re both soaked. Zoey opens the door and they step in. He looks around the cabin. While it had a rustic feel, the cabin was modern in furniture. A plaid couch was against one wall. Across from it was the fireplace. Zoey sets the bottle of Jim Beam on a coffee table before making her way to the fireplace.

“How long do you think it’ll take before someone notices we’re gone,” Bruce questions, sitting down on the couch.

“It’ll take Uncle Max until tomorrow afternoon,” Zoey answers. She grabs the matches off the fireplace mantle and kneels. Bruce watches as she strikes a match and carefully lights the fireplace. She had clearly intended to come out here alone. There was a small cooler in the corner along with a backpack. “How long do you think it’ll take Alfred?”

“Tomorrow morning,” Bruce tells her. “That’s if I don’t show up for breakfast.” Zoey sits down on the couch and takes a swig of the bourbon. She holds out the bottle to him. He grabs it and takes a swig. “Alfred is having dinner with an old friend.”

Zoey shifts. “Well, uh, I guess we are hiding out here until the rain lets up.”

A silence settles over them, each wonder how they were gonna pass time.

Zoey looks out the window as the SUV drives through Gotham. It was a far cry from Smallville. And it wasn’t anything like Star City. Gotham was full of gleaming art deco buildings and glass skyscrapers. The tallest building in the city was the Wayne Enterprises building. It stood in the center of the financial district. The only symbol on the building was a giant ‘W’ at the top. It was a reminder to the citizens of Gotham of which family had built the city. Through to others it was seen as a reminder that the upper echelons of Gotham society had destroyed the city. One didn’t have to go far from the gleaming financial district to see the reality for many of Gotham’s citizens. Crime, homelessness, drugs.

“The Wayne Foundation has dedicated itself to restoring the city of Gotham to its once famous glory,” Max says, reading the invitation of the annual Wayne Foundation gala. They were dressed in formal attire. Max in a tailor suit with his sandy brown hair slicked back. Zoey wore the strapless, black tea dress she and Max had picked out. Her hair was pulled into a slick ponytail, a light layer of makeup accented her natural features, and a simple diamond necklace.

Zoey had never been to a gala before. “Does that mean they’re going to start going after the people who actually caused the problems? Such as corporations, like Wayne Enterprises, not paying enough in taxes.”

Max shoots her an unamused look. “I see someone has been watching the opinion news shows today. And don’t let anyone hear you say anything like that.”

"Why do you want me and Bruce to be together so badly?”

“Because the Waynes and Carmichaels go back hundred and fifty years. We can’t let it fall apart now.”

Zoey leans back on the couch, laughing. The bottle of Jim Beam was nearly empty. They could still hear the rain beating against the roof of the cabin. Bruce sits down next to her, annoyed that she had him perform the chicken dance. “Your turn,” he says. “Truth or dare?”

The two teens had started to play the game in order to pass the time. “Dare,” Zoey answers.

Bruce smirks. “I dare you to kiss me.” He knew that there was no way she would do it. She was too shy.

Zoey shifts on the couch to face him. She wanted to wipe that smirk off his face. She leans forward and presses her lips against his. She didn’t care that it was her first kiss. She just wanted to prove that she didn’t back down from any challenge. She starts to pull back, ready to taunt him.

Bruce places a hand on the back of her head. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t want the kiss to end. He actually enjoyed her company, though that was something he wouldn’t never admit to anyone. Keeping his lips pressed against hers, he gently pushes her back onto the couch. Zoey shifts, trying to get comfortable. Her knee brushes his hip causing her dress to ride up, exposing the pale skin of her thigh.

Bruce pulls back and looks down at her. “Is this okay,” he questions.

“Yes,” Zoey breathlessly answers. Her heart was racing. He leans down, pressing his lips against hers once more. His hand runs over her thigh, pushing the bottom of her dress up further. She rest her hands on his biceps. His hand brushes over the white lace panties she was wearing. Her breath hitches.

Bruce trails his lips across her cheek. His hand continues brushing against her. “Zoey—”

“Don’t stop,” Zoey interrupts. She knew exactly where this was headed. She didn’t know if was the bourbon or something else, but she wanted to experience what she had read in the various romance novels she enjoyed. She wanted to feel desired.

Bruce suddenly sits up. Part of him wanted to continue. He was ready. She was obviously ready and willing. Yet, there was a part of him that didn’t feel right about it. “We can’t do this,” he mutters, standing up. He adjusts his pants, hoping to relieve some of the tension he was feeling.

Zoey blinks. She sits up, shoving her dress back down. “Oh.” She looks around the cabin; trying to find something to distract her from the rejection she was feeling.

“Don’t get me wrong. I want to. It just…it doesn’t feel right.”

Zoey looks at him. She glances at the empty Jim Beam bottle. She stands up and walks over to him. She wraps her arms around his neck. “Are you trying to be a knight in shining armor,” she amusedly asks.

Bruce pulls her close; hands settling on her waist. “Like I said, it just doesn’t feel right. At least right now.”

Zoey looks up at him. “Right now? Are you saying you don’t find me weird anymore?”

“Maybe.”

Zoey sighs. The evening so far had been a wash. She hadn’t seen Bruce since she and Max had arrived at the Wayne Foundation Gala which was taking place at the Gotham Museum of Arts. She was confused. Bruce had been the one who invited her yet he wasn’t at the gala. She sits down on bench and looks up at the painting of a garden filled with roses and lillies. She’s so lost in her thoughts that she doesn’t notice someone sit down next to her. A hand lightly brushes hers and she jumps.

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” Bruce apologizes.

It takes Zoey a moment to realize that he’s wearing jeans and a sweater. He clearly no intention going to the gala. “Why exactly did you invite me?”

“I wanted to see you.”

Zoey lightly smiles. “You could’ve just asked.”

Bruce shrugs. His thumb brushes the back of her hand. “This was less suspicious.”

“Well, you did make Uncle Max very happy. I haven’t seen him this happy in years.”

“And what about you?”

“Happy. Confused. Annoyed.”

Bruce raises an eyebrow. “Annoyed?”

“I’ve had to spend the past couple of hours listening to people tell how far I’ve come and that parents would be extremely proud of me. It gets very old very fast,” Zoey tells him, then stands up. She starts to walk away from him, but he grabs her wrist.

“I know,” Bruce tells her. He closes the gap between them. She could feel his breath on her face. She presses her lips against his. The kiss is slow and tentative. He pulls back. “Do you want to get out here?”

“I would love to get out of here,” Zoey whispers.

~*~

Zoey yawns and stretches her arms out. The sun was shining in through the window. The manicure lawns of Wayne Manor were nothing like the fields of the Kent farm. It’s at that moment that Zoey feels the weight on her waist; the heat pressed against her back. After sneaking out of the gala, the two teens had been driven back to Wayne Manor by Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce's guardian and trusted butler. They had spent the night eating pizza and catching up on what had occurred in their lives since last summer. She made the decision not to mention what happened at homecoming.

Zoey rolls over and finds Bruce staring at her. He had given her an old t-shirt that stopped just above her knees. He had chosen to sleep in a pair of boxers. She remembered him climbing into the bed sometime during the night. “Were you watching me sleep,” she amusedly asks voice husky with sleep.

Bruce remains silent. He had spent months trying to figure out what caused him to develop a sudden attraction to Zoey. He had dated a couple of girls at his school, hoping that it would help him figure things out. It didn’t. He leans over and softly kisses her. She pulls him close. Her hands on his bare skin felt electrifying. The kiss deepens. His hands run over her legs. She rolls onto her back, pulling him with her. Bruce pulls back. He looks down at her. “We need to stop,” he softly says; it was the last thing he wanted to do.

Zoey bites her lip. “What if I don’t want to,” she whispers.

“Are you sure?”

Zoey leans up and pulls him another kiss. Hands run over each other, exploring. Clothes wind up on the floor. She lets out a gasp when he swiftly enters her. She blinks back the tears. She heard that it would hurt the first time. His movements are fast and quick. He lets out a groan and falls onto her. Bruce lays there for a moment, then pulls out and lays on the bed next to her. A silence falls over them. Each of them lost in their own thoughts.

Zoey clears her throat and sits up. She ignores the stinging pain shooting through her. “I, um, I need to get back to the hotel before Uncle Max sends out a search party.”

“I’ll get cleaned up,” Bruce tells her. Zoey grabs his boxers off the floor and silently hands them to him.

~*~ Oliver lets out a groan. He had no idea who would even think about calling him so early on a Sunday morning. He glances over his shoulder and finds Tess still asleep. He sits up and runs a hand over his face before grabbing the cell phone. “Yeah,” he tiredly greets.

“I didn’t mean to wake you, Ollie,” Zoey says. “I just…I didn’t know who else to call.”

Oliver straightens up. “Zo, is everything okay? Are you okay?”

“I don’t know where Uncle Max is. His room is empty. But all his stuff is still here. I-I-I don’t know where he is. I don’t know how I’m supposed to get home, Ollie. I have this big test coming up in my environmental science class.”

He frowns. “Max told me that you both were invited to Gotham for the Wayne Gala.”

“Yes. And he’s not here. He’s missing. Oh my god, what if he was kidnapped or murdered or-or-or worse.”

“Zo, take a deep breath,” Oliver tells her, standing up. He pays no attention to the stirring redhead in the bed. “I’ll take my jet and come pick you up. Everything will be okay.”

“No, it won’t,” Zoey sobs. “Uncle Max might be dead or something. And I screwed up. Big time.”

“Tell me what happened, and we’ll fix it. Everything will be okay.”

“I-I-I had sex with Bruce. We-we-we didn’t use—”

“Zoey, when did this happen,” Oliver interrupts.

“This morning,” Zoey softly answers.

“I’ll take care of this, Zo. Don’t worry about it. Call whoever you need to and tell them the plane broke. That you’ll be home tomorrow. Okay.”

“Okay,” Zoey softly says. Oliver hangs up the phone and grabs his jeans off the floor.

~*~

It’s almost midnight when a knock comes on the hotel suite door. Zoey jumps up off the couch and runs over to her. Her heart had been racing all day. She hadn’t managed to get ahold of Max all day. The only bright side of the day had been that Jonathan and Martha believed her when she told them the plane was broken. She looks through the peephole and lets out a relieved breath upon seeing Oliver.

Zoey yanks open the door and launches herself at him. Oliver’s taken back but quickly rights himself. “It’s okay, Zo,” he tells her. He rubs a hand down her back. “Everything will be fine.” He guides her into the suite and softly closes the door behind them. Oliver walks over to the mini fridge and grabs a bottle of water. He pulls out a small vanilla envelope as he walks back over to her. He holds it and the bottle of water out to her. “Take this. It’s more effective the earlier you take it.”

“What is it,” Zoey asks, taking it from him. She opens it to find a white pill in it.

“Morning after pill,” Oliver says. “You’re going to take it. Then in a month, I’m going to visit you in Smallville, and we’re going to make sure it worked.”

Zoey puts the pill in her mouth and takes a huge gulp of water. “What happens if it doesn’t work,” she quietly questions.

“We’ll cross that bridge if we have to,” Oliver replies. He crosses his arms over his chest. “Did Bruce force—”

“No,” Zoey interrupts. She shakes her head. “No. No. Bruce didn’t force me or anything. I wanted to. I really wanted to. It’s just…it was really…disappointing.”

Oliver snorts. He pushes her towards the bedroom. “It was your first time. Of course, it was disappointing.”

Zoey spins around in his grasp. “I bet your first time wasn’t disappointing.”

“I barely remember my first time, Zo. And that means it wasn’t that good.” He brushes her hair over her shoulder. “You’re fifteen. You have plenty of time to have sex that’s not disappointing.”

The door to the suite opens, and they turn to see Max enter, wearing a pair of oversized floral board shorts and an equally oversized t-shirt with Caesar’s logo on it. “Uncle Max, you’re not dead,” Zoey exclaims, running over to him. She tightly embraces him.

Max hugs her back, frowning. “Why would think that I’m dead?” It’s at that moment that he notices Oliver standing in the suite. “What are you doing here, Oliver?”

“I called him,” Zoey answers. “You weren’t here. And I thought you were kidnapped or murdered or worse—”

“What’s worse than being murdered,” Max interrupts.

“Where have you been, Max,” Oliver questions.

Max shifts. He runs a hand across the back of his neck. “I, uh, I woke up in a hotel in Atlantic City. Tied to a bed. Naked.”

Oliver raises an eyebrow. “That explains your clothes.”

“Are you okay,” Zoey asks, still worried.

Max shrugs. “I’m fine. Pride hurts. But I’m fine, Zoey.”

Zoey turns to Oliver. “We should call the police.”

“Zoey, I’m fine,” Max snaps. He rubs his face. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It’s been a long day. And I just want to sleep.”

Silence falls over them as Max walks into his room and closes the door. “Ollie,” Zoey softly begins. He looks at her and finds a concerned look on her face. “Can you…do you think you can talk to Uncle Max? Make sure that he’s okay?”

Oliver lightly smiles at her. “Of course,” he tells her. He guides her towards her room. “You need to get some sleep, Zo. We have an early flight in the morning to get you home.”

Zoey hugs him. “Thank you, Ollie.”

Oliver presses a soft kiss to the top of her head. “It’s no problem, Zo.”

I’m not a girl Not yet a woman All I need is time, a moment that is mine While I’m in between I’m not a girl

#fanfiction #smallville #bruce waynexoc #bruce wayne / oc #zoey york #series rewrite

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lost-in-the-80s · 4 years ago

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The Wedding

Pairing: Izzy Stradlin x fem!reader

Words: 2.321k

Summary: Your brother's wedding has arrived, without having a boyfriend, you invite Izzy, your best friend, to be your date. (smut)

A/N: When I started listening to gnr, it didn’t take much time before Izzy got a place in my heart, so this is for his birthday

Song rec for the fic: Woman by John Lennon

Sitting on an airplane for over an hour now, Izzy observed your asleep figure beside him, your head laying on his shoulder, like you had done so many times before, unaware of the warmth it caused on the brunette’s heart.

He questioned himself for a thousandth time that week. Why in the hell did I agree with this?

The idea didn’t sound like a big deal at first, accompanying you to your brother’s wedding wouldn’t cause any harm. But as the days started to go by, his mind traced every aspect of a wedding, the music, the romantic atmosphere, the dancing, and he soon started to regret having said yes so easily.

The truth is that Izzy has always loved you, ever since the day the two of you met. It all happened so naturally that he didn’t notice he was in love until you went on a date with another guy.

At first, he loved your voice, he’d call you just to hear you talking for hours about the most random things. Then it was your eyes, he found himself entranced by their color, the way they rolled when you got annoyed, and how they seemed to invade his deepest thoughts and memories every time you looked at his eyes.

The last thing was your attitude, your bluntness and forward behavior shocking him sometimes, and being his main entertainment in others. He found a true interest in watching you, it didn’t matter what you were doing, you would always be in his sight.

And even though years passed, that feeling seemed to just grow more and more, and every time he saw you going out with another guy, his heart broke into smaller and smaller pieces.

Little did he know the reason behind your maneater habits.

The truth is that, just like him, you had fallen for him since day one, you loved his nonchalant attitude and his style, the shape of his hands and fingers, and how dry his voice was after his third cigarette.

Just like him, you would secretly observe him, the two of you being too good on your game to ever get caught by each other.

But you didn’t want to risk your friendship over admitting your feelings, especially when you didn’t know if Izzy felt the same way. So you went on multiple dates, meeting guys with the most different appearances and personalities, all in hopes that one day, you’d meet someone capable of making you stop thinking about the guy from Indiana. That, obviously, never happened.

A little turbulence on the plane woke you up, you immediately looked up, meeting his brownish eyes.

“It’s just turbulence. Go back to sleep.”

You nodded slowly, before laying your head on his shoulder again, inhaling his scent of cigarettes and cologne and immediately feeling your body calm down.

---

You looked at yourself in the mirror of the hotel room, rolling your eyes at Niki's choice of color and design for the bridesmaids' dresses.

A soft knock on the door caught your attention and there stood him, a black blazer matching his black jeans.

He looked you up and down.

"You're gonna steal the bride's attention like that."

"It's grey, the most boring color ever! I wouldn't steal her attention, even if I wanted to."

He chuckled softly.

Well, you stole my attention. He thought to himself.

Picking up your purse and gift you exited the room, locking your arm with his for support, as you got on the elevator and then walked towards the hotel's saloon.

---

During the entire ceremony, Izzy found his attention caught by you, the way you stood out amongst the other bridesmaids and how impatient you seemed to grow with how long the ceremony was taking.

Your grey dress looked like pure silver, reflecting the lights. You looked so beautiful that he wished he had brought a camera to take a picture of you.

Your eyes caught his for once, and you blinked in his direction, smiling when you saw his lips turn into a small smile.

After what felt like forever the ceremony ended and he found himself sitting at a table with “Y/N and boyfriend” written down on a card.

“I think someone gave them the wrong info.” He showed you the card when you plopped down on the chair beside him.

You rolled your eyes. “Classic coming from my family.”

You lifted the tablecloth, making him look down to see what was happening.

“These heels are killing me.” You complained, removing your silver sandals and quickly massaging your feet.

“I bet they are.” He took two champagne glasses from a waiter passing by.

He knew you weren’t used to heels. Being almost his height, you never felt the need to wear them that often.

“Thanks.” You took your glass towards your nude lips.

“How much did you pay for that gift?” He pointed towards the biggest package on a pile, knowing it was yours.

“300 bucks.”

His eyes widened for a second.

You didn’t wait for him to say anything, knowing exactly what was crossing his mind.

“He’s my only brother. I might not like Niki that much, but he’s happy with her, and I’m happy for that.”

“Fair enough.” He drank from his champagne again. "Those ice statutes are quite tempting for a man who wants to take a piss,"

He chuckled to himself, but soon realized that your attention was focused on the main door.

“See that girl over there?” You pointed at the door.

“What’s with her?”

“That’s Braeden,” the name made him realize she was your sister. “She’s the only woman taller than me here….”

He looked back at you, and so you lowered your voice, keeping eye contact with him.

“When the bouquet time comes, you’re gonna block her.” You gestured aggressively with your hands, making a smile start to form on his lips.

“Why?”

“There’s no way my younger sister is gonna get married before me.”

He chuckled. “I didn’t know you aspired to marriage Y/N.”

Your eyes softened with his sentence and a small pain formed in your heart. If only he knew what crossed your mind when you looked at him during the ceremony.

---

The night seemed to go by faster than he expected and soon he found himself at the drinks table, observing as you talked to some relatives of yours on the other side of the saloon.

You sensed his eyes and looked towards him, giving him a look that said “Help me.”

He chuckled softly, but before he could do anything a woman’s voice caught his attention.

“You must be Izzy.”

He looked to his side, seeing a woman that looked just like Joey, your brother.

“Yes, and you are….” He extended his hand for her to shake.

“I’m Martha, Y/N’s mother.”

“Pleasure to meet you.”

“I didn’t know the two of you were dating.”

He choked on his drink.

“We aren’t, we’re just friends.” He looked down for a second.

She nodded slowly, before locking her eyes on your side.

“I know my daughter very well,"

Her voice made him look back at her.

“She has had many boyfriends in her life, but I’ve never seen her look at them in the way she looks at you.”

He opened his mouth, but your presence made him stop.

“Hey, mom!” You smiled, kissing her cheek.

“Hello, darling.” She touched your hair, adjusting some locks. “I promised I'd dance this one with your father.”

You nodded in understanding as she smiled before walking away.

“So… wanna dance with me?” You nudged him from the side, before taking a sip from his drink.

“With this song?” He asked, taking notice that Woman by John Lennon was playing.

“Why not?” You shrugged.

“Okay.” He placed his now empty glass on the table before taking your hand and guiding you towards the other people there dancing.

One of his hands held you delicately by your waist as you slowly swung to the song. Your eyes locked on each other as the other people around you seemed to disappear.

Your mother’s words mixed with the lyrics hitting his head like bells as he finally noticed the glow that formed in your eyes as you looked at him, making his heart race faster than ever.

You just realized another song was playing when someone bumped into you, making a disco song hit your ears.

You both looked so distracted and for a second you thought you’d sit down for the rest of the night, not being able to feel his cold fingers brush on your skin through your dress.

But those thoughts washed away when he let go of your waist just to grab both of your hands and guide you throughout the song, just like he did for the rest of the night.

That was the happiest night you have had in your life, and when your hotel room number became noticeable at the end of the corridor, you wished you could turn back time and do it all again.

“Happy with your bouquet?”

“More than happy.” You giggled, smelling the flowers one more time.

It was comic the way Izzy put himself in front of your sister, pretending not to be aware of what was happening.

“Thanks for that.”

“If that makes you happy, I can do that at the next weddings too.”

Next weddings. The thought made butterflies erupt in your stomach.

“So…” he started, stopping in front of your room as you opened the door.

“So…”

“Tonight was fun.”

“Yes, it really was!” You said looking down. “Thanks for coming with me, Iz.” You leaned towards him, kissing his cheek gently.

“Anytime.” He replied so lowly that you weren’t sure if he had actually said that.

You entered your room and closed the door, resting your forehead against it as you sighed.

Rushed knocks against the wood made you regain your posture and quickly open the door.

Izzy looked deep inside your eyes, his brown orbs saying everything his mouth wanted to.

Not a second after that and you wrapped your arms around his neck, your lips colliding against his.

No kiss ever had felt like that. It was warm like fire and exciting, you felt your heart start racing faster and your mind went numb.

He wrapped his arms around your waist, bringing you as close as he could while entering your room and kicking the door shut behind him.

Soon you found yourself in your bed, your legs wrapped around his hips as your tongues fought for dominance, making small moans and grunts leave your mouths. One of his hands started traveling underneath your dress's fabric, exploring every inch of your legs, making you shiver with his cold fingers.

Your lips found his neck, kissing and biting at his flesh with desire, delighted by his irregular breathing and the small moans he tried to hold.

A certain hardness was pressed against your core among what seemed like a thousand layers of clothing. The sensation making you wet as you bit harsher on his neck, loving the smirk that formed on his lips.

He pushed himself off of you, standing up and ripping his shirt open, the sound of buttons hitting the floor filling the room.

“I need your help with the dress.”

You sat on the bed, your back facing him as he found the zipper, opening it quickly while he applied wet kisses on the extension of your back, biting your flesh just like you had done with him, making a small moan leave your lips.

“So beautiful.” He whispered against your ear, making another shiver possess your body.

You stripped off of the dress as you watched him undo his pants and remove his underwear with it.

He made his way back to the bed, his calloused fingers removed your blue lace panties slowly and delicately. One of his fingers traveled in between your folds, his eyes closing for a second when he noticed your wetness for him.

Izzy cupped your face with one of his hands, kissing you tenderly before asking.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

You felt the tip of his member entering you, making you close your eyes, focusing on the sensation it caused. You felt him slowly expanding your walls until it was all the way in, making a soft and small moan leave your lips.

Izzy looked at you for confirmation and after seeing you nod, he started moving.

In the beginning, it was slow and passionate, he made it the most intimate he could, touching every inch of your skin, whispering sweet nothings on your ear, as you traced his back and arms with the tip of your fingers, allowing your nails to softly touch his skin.

After some minutes, sweat started to form on both your bodies, your moans coming out in unison filled the room as you felt your walls start to clench around him.

That’s when he sped up his pace, the tip of his member now hitting your g-spot with no mercy, he massaged one of your breasts with his hand, while the other rested on the bed for support.

“Izzy,” His name left your lips in a loud moan and you saw a proud expression consume his features.

“I know, princess, I know.”

You closed your eyes and moaned again, feeling as you and he both came at the same time. A groan leaving his throat matching your whimpers as you felt a wave of pure pleasure wash over your body. Your legs started to shake and you scratched his back, while he bit harsh enough to leave a mark on your neck.

Both sweating and trying to gain your breath again, you laid in bed, your head resting on his chest as he softly caressed your body.

“Izzy?”

“Hum?”

“This is not a one-time thing, right?”

“No, Y/N, it is not.”

Thanks for reading <3

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bex-la-get · 3 years ago

Text

A Very Important Question (Ethan x f!MC)

Book: Open Heart

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Natalie Cusack

Special Appearance: Sienna Trinh

Word count: 2012

Summary: Ethan has a very important question for Nat.

Author’s Note: This is dedicated to the anon who asked if I had written Ethan and Nat’s proposal story. Surprisingly, I had not so, of course, I had to rectify that immediately. Hope you enjoy it! 😘 Also this is unedited so sorry in advance for mistakes.

Ethan was acting weird.

He was constantly stepping away from work to attend meetings off-site, closed his laptop anytime someone walked by, and seemed to be in a constant state of anxiety. Whenever Natalie tried to talk to him about it, he always brushed it off, reassuring her he was fine.

“I’m just under a lot of stress, Nat, that’s all. Being Chief is more involved than I realized,” he would say.

Natalie wasn’t convinced.

“I don’t know, Si. I’m worried about him,” Nat said one night when getting drinks with Sienna. “You don’t think he’s having money trouble and he’s trying to hide it from me, do you?”

Sienna furrowed her brows. “You mean like gambling debts? That doesn’t seem like Ethan.”

Natalie shrugged. “I know it doesn’t. I’m just grasping at straws here. Trying to make sense of it all.”

Sienna squeezed Natalie’s hand reassuringly. “Don’t look too much into it, Nat. He’s probably just stressed; lord knows Bloom doesn’t make things easy and the Chief’s job is pretty demanding.”

Nat sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Si.”

“Anytime.”

------------------------------

-------------------------

When Nat returned home that night, she found Ethan sitting on the sofa, watching an old black-and-white movie. His eyes lit up when he spotted her and he jumped off the couch to greet her. “Hey you.”

“Hi,” she smiled.

Ethan pulled her close and kissed her softly, smiling as Natalie immediately relaxed in his arms. “I missed you,” he said, pulling away.

“I just saw you a few hours ago,” she replied.

“I know and then I went several hours without seeing you and I missed you terribly during that time.”

She laughed and caressed his cheek with her hand. “Well, I missed you too.” Her brows furrowed and she stepped closer to him. “Are you okay? You’ve been so stressed this past week; I’m worried about you.”

His eyes softened and he nodded. “I know; I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. This-- this whole thing with being Chief and trying to navigate my new responsibilities while still having to answer to Bloom has been overwhelming. And I kind of bottled it up; I know I have no reason to, it’s just-- just an old habit, I guess.”

Natalie smiled understandingly. “I know, I’m quite familiar with those old habits of yours.” He chuckled and she nuzzled his nose with hers. “You don’t have to bottle it up anymore, my love. I’m here for you, always. And I want to support you through everything, be it good or bad. I’ve got you.”

He held her close and rested his forehead against hers. “Thank you; I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Just talk to me, okay? Even if it’s minor, I always want you to feel like you can come to me.”

“I will, I promise.” His forehead still resting against hers, he closed his eyes and held her close for a long moment, just enjoying having her in his arms. He was fully aware of how lucky he was to have her and while it killed him to lie to her, he hoped she’d forgive him when she realized the reason why.

Nuzzling her nose with his, he moved to kiss her forehead then looked at her. “Are you hungry? There’s some leftovers in the fridge I can heat up.”

She smiled and nodded. “That sounds great. Let me change though, these jeans have overstayed their welcome.”

He chuckled and watched as she made her way to the bedroom. “Hey,” he called. She turned and looked at him expectantly and he smiled. “I love you.”

She grinned. “I love you more.”

“Never.”

-----------------------------------

Ethan looked around the apartment, triple checking his packing list in case he missed something. They were only going to be gone for the weekend but he needed to make sure that nothing was missing or left behind. This had to go perfectly; and with a lot of luck, it would. But that assumed he remembered everything-- did he pack enough underwear? What about the wine, is the wine in the cooler? Ring. The ring’s in his suitcase. Should he double check again?

The lock in the front door turned and Ethan had a brief moment of panic before shaking it off. He’d been preparing for this for over a week, everything was set. He just needed to remember to breathe.

Nat smiled at Ethan as she walked in. “Hey you.”

Ethan visibly relaxed and returned her smile. “Hi. How was lunch with Sienna?”

“Good! We got our nails done too. Lookie!” She extended her hand out to him and he admired the bright red she had chosen. He tried not to lose himself in the visual of a diamond ring on the very hand he was looking at, instead focusing on the color. Don’t give it away!

He cleared his throat and smiled. “Very pretty. Good color choice.”

“Thank you,” she said, smiling. Then, noticing the duffle bag that sat on the couch behind him, she furrowed her brows. “Are you going somewhere?”

“We are,” he corrected. “We’re taking the weekend off and going to Martha’s Vineyard, just the two of us. And Jenner.”

She smiled. “Really? Wait, I’m supposed to work tomorrow!”

Ethan shook his head. “Not anymore. I cleared your schedule and got your shifts covered. You’re free until Tuesday. Perks of dating the Chief.” He winked.

She raised her eyebrows. “Thank you, Ethan; that’s so sweet of you. But… what’s the occasion? I’m not forgetting an anniversary, am I?”

He chuckled. “No; I just thought we could both do with a weekend off. I hope it’s okay that I decided that?” The thought suddenly crossed his mind that she might object to having a trip suddenly sprung on her without warning.

She smiled and quelled his nerves with a gentle kiss. “It’s more than okay. Thank you for being so thoughtful.”

“Anything for you, my love.” He pointed to the duffle bag. “Everything’s already packed, we just need to get it all into the car. Will you leash Jenner?”

-----------------------

Their first night in Martha’s Vineyard had been relaxing and romantic. After arriving at the AirBnB Ethan had rented, the two had gone out to dinner and enjoyed a quiet date overlooking the beach. Nat had looked beautiful in her sundress and windblown hair, her smile lighting up the entire patio. If Ethan hadn’t left the ring at the house, he might’ve proposed just then. But he had put too much planning into this proposal, damn it, he wasn’t about to ruin it all with an impulse, no matter how tempted he was.

After a lazy Saturday morning stumbling around the house, Ethan, Natalie, and Jenner made their way to the beach, picnic basket and blanket in hand. “This was such a good idea, babe!” Nat said as she popped a cheese cube into her mouth. “We haven’t been on a picnic in forever!”

Ethan smiled. “That’s why I thought we could have one while we were here. The beach seems like as good a place as any for a picnic.”

Natalie smiled. “This reminds me of our first date.”

“Does it now?”

“Mhm,” she said, sipping her wine. “The two of us and Jenner, enjoying a beautiful day outside. We had a picnic then too.”

“I remember,” Ethan said, smiling fondly. “I was nervous for that date. I wanted to make a good impression on you.”

“Really? You had already made a good impression on me.”

“Not as a boyfriend, I hadn’t. I wanted everything to go perfectly; it mattered to me that you knew how much I care about you. How much I love you. I may or may not have agonized over how much cheese was too much for that picnic.”

Nat smiled and squeezed his hand. “I knew then as I know now how much you love me. It’s as much as I love you, which is a lot. And you made a wonderful impression on me, Ethan. You always do. Also, there is no such thing as too much cheese.”

He laughed. “I know that now.” He leaned towards her and kissed her softly, caressing her cheek with his free hand. “I love you,” he whispered as he pulled away.

“I love you too,” she replied. She looked back at their picnic basket and smiled. “Any chance you packed some sweet stuff in there?”

“Mhm,” Ethan nodded. “There’s some chocolate covered strawberries at the bottom of the basket.

Nat’s eyes lit up. “You spoil me!”

Ethan watched with bated breath as Nat dug her way to the bottom of the basket, fully aware of what she’d find on top of aforementioned strawberries. His heart pounded as he watched her hands slow in their search and listened to the quiet gasp that escaped her lips. With one final reach, she pulled out a small velvet box, her eyes wide. “Ethan… I-- what?”

He moved closer to her and clasped his hands over hers, holding the box in place. “I love you,” he told her. Deftly, he maneuvered the small box out of her grasp and held it in front of her. “I love you so much and I want to live the rest of my life with you by my side. Natalie, you are kind and intelligent and passionate and beautiful both inside and out. You have such fire in your eyes, it could set the whole world ablaze and I would but happily burn in the flames.

“You have made my life so much better, from the first day you stepped into it. You light up my darkest days, your embrace is my home; I am a better man because of you and I know true happiness with you. Wherever you go Nat, I will follow. I love you and I can’t wait to grow old with you. Will you marry me?”

Nat was crying, a beautiful watery smile on her face. She sniffled and hastily wiped the tears that were falling away as she struggled to find her voice. “Ethan, I--” she choked back a sob and smiled even bigger. “I love you so much. Yes. Yes, I will marry you!”

Choking back a sob of his own, Ethan pulled Natalie into a tight embrace, her arms flinging around his shoulders and they held each other tightly, crying tears of overwhelming happiness and whispered “I love you’s.”

Eventually, they pulled apart and wiped each other’s tears away before Ethan pulled the ring out of the box and slid it onto Natalie’s finger. Sienna’s tips about Nat’s ring size had been correct and it fit like a glove, much to his relief. The ring looked better on her hand than he could have ever imagined. And now it would live on her hand for the rest of their lives, a symbol of their undying love for each other.

Natalie smiled at the ring and sniffled. “So is this why Sienna insisted we get our nails done yesterday?” she asked.

Ethan laughed. “I suppose so. She had mentioned it to me but I didn’t think much of it. It does make a lot of sense, though.”

She giggled and nodded. Then she looked at him thoughtfully. “You weren’t stressed about work at all, were you? You were stressed about this.”

He nodded and ran his thumb over the ring. “Yes. I’m sorry I worried you; and I’m sorry for lying to you about it. I wanted to keep it a surprise as best I could. I didn’t know how else to go about it.”

She smiled and shook her head. “It’s okay, I understand. I’m just glad to know this was what you were stressed about and nothing more pressing; like gambling debts or something like that.”

“I only gamble when it comes to Declan Nash, you know that,” he smirked.

“Of course,” she laughed. “How silly of me.”

He leaned in close and rested his forehead against hers. “I love you, Nat.”

“I love you more.”

He smiled and kissed her soundly on the lips, very nearly forgetting what they were talking about. “Never.”

A/N: Hope you guys liked it! 💙

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#bexwritesstuff #open heart fic #ethan ramsey #natalie cusack #ethan x natalie #open heart mc #ethan x mc #open heart choices

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oh-for-fic-sake · 4 years ago

Text

Grandma Knows Best

Masterlist

Summary: Three months and you were still on edge ready to run at a moments notice and Clark is beside himself with worry, it was time Martha nipped this in the but once and for all. Grandma always knows best.

Warning: Angst, Swearing, Past Trauma, Panic attacks

A/N: so this one is very angsty the next chapter should be happier and a little humor but I wanted to have this final 'melt down' I hope you enjoy it xxx

Taglist: @sofiebstar @thefangirlsblog @gooseyhouse @charliestufff @harrysthiccthighss @loserrlauraa @cheeseman

The potting shed was old and rickety, Clark and Konner were going to fix it up over the weekend well fix it up; they were going to knock out all the panels and put perspex glass over it making a humongous diy green house, they were going to home depo to order the glass tomorrow, but for now it was perfect shelter for the older plants. Around six weeks ago Martha had dragged you in here to plant your first ever plants. It had been fun, poking tiny holes and planting the seeds you were out here everyday watching,waiting for a shoot! But after a week you had gotten bored and stopped looking until she had told you of the first few leaves of spinach had popped through...It seemed within days of that all your plants had sprouted, none had died and to say you were proud was an understatement. You loved watching them grow something about caring for the fragile plants watering and feeding them pellets and tending them was soothing in a way. Whenever you got to overwhelmed you'd come out to the shed and take care of them, it was a place you could escape all...Except grandma. Martha had all but exiled the boys when she noticed Clark pestering you inside. she could see that gardening was becoming a solace for you, something you did without a care and she was pleased. You moved slowly behind Martha as she showed you how to dead head some of the plants and curb the tomato's so that you got less leaves and more fruit. You watched fascinated as she made quick work of the tall tomato plants plucking the new budding stems that would only produce leaves that would shade the fruit so it couldn't ripen. She turned looking to you concerned today she planned to air out a few things with you it was high time you had a little heart to heart.Three months. Three long months and still you held back Martha was worried, you hadn't settled, well you had but you were still skittish ready to run at a moments notice. They hoped you'd be more relaxed but it would seem you were the opposite more guarded and secretive and not once had you referred to them as family. It saddened her, konner had let slip that you were frightened of hurting someone...Namely her. But the woman trusted you. Clark was beside himself he didn't understand what he needed to do he was a father...Your father and he hadn't a fucking clue! Martha had decided it was time to nip these silly fears in the butt herself something tells her you needed a female touch. Clark had come to her a few days ago in floods of tears he had tried to take you shopping for clothes and you'd refused so then he offered to get a meal and when you turned that down it was coffee even though he didn't even let you drink it...He just wanted some one on one time with you he had been so excited for you to come home, he wanted a daughter...But you didn't seem to want a dad? He couldn't understand it he was lost and confused he desperately wanted you to open up to him, wanted to wrap you up in his arms and fight off all your doubts but...He didn't want to rush things, Bruce had called him out for being overbaring at first and said things take time but still he was impatient. What if you thought he didn't care because he was now giving you space? He hated the idea of you fearing being abandoned and alone again. You seemed happy on the face of it but when no one was looking your face was blank a mask hiding everything below. The longer you stayed here the more he could see you pull back you were fighting it, fighting being safe secure and happy. He couldnt get through to help neither could konner he had been trying to hard and you'd shut yourself off from him, Clark didn't want that to happen with him. It crushed him knowing you were still frightened and had decided that it would be an idea to just stay at the farm. He wanted to give you stability but he wanted you to come to him to open up and talk or or at least treat him like a father even if you didn't call him dad.

Martha moved slowly around you discreetly positioning herself between you and the door. She knew you'd try to avoid this and if you had the chance you'd run off and hide and that was not happening...Not again last time you'd been gone for a whole twenty-four hours the Clark had found you sleeping at a bus stop at two in the morning scaring the daylights out of everyone. She turned to face you a small smile was on your face as you prodded the leaves on your prized cucumber plant the first cucumbers just starting to form. "You know your dad was thinking of helping you design your room... I got a few catalogues of wallpaper and stuff...Ideas for designs from the home depot" You looked up at her blinking with a soft smile then moved slowly stepping up beside her placing your hands on the wooden Table in front of you. "He shouldn't...No point we're moving to the city again so...Yeah" Martha tilted her head letting out a breath placing the ant powder over your the cucumber plant to keep away the earwigs. "Well that was the plan...But your dad thinks it might be best to keep you and konner away from it... So your all staying here its not like he has to worry about getting to work~" she gave a sly smile and nudged you softly then frowned at your sour expression. "I didn't realize" Martha eyed you cautiously and stopped tending to the veg and turned. Then dipped down to your level you met her eyes for a second. What she saw broke her heart you were hurting and unsure still so lost. "Well now you do...So tell me what do you think you'll do to your room...I'm sure it won't be pink!" You took another deep breath poking a finger in the soil drawing a line in it. And shrugged. Its not something you thought about kids in the system didn't decorate, everything is temporary. "Don't know....Shouldn't bother...Only two years" Martha turned a placed a hand on he hip unimpressed. But you couldn't help feel she already knew that'd be your answer. "Now what the hell makes you say that? You think were gonna what? Kick you out at eighteen? Honey no that’s all behind you now...I mean christ Clarks still here and he's what thirty seven? Thirty eight" You flicked your gaze to her then back down to the spinach shoots in front of you moving the spritz them with a mix of water and dish soap helping keep away bugs. You arched over to the small container that held a mix of rock salt and crushed egg shells it helped keep away the slugs and snails. "I...Its hard I forgot what its meant to be like...In the system you just get thrown out...Go to the streets....Always weed to run or something or you can go to the sewers" Martha frowned at that "So that was your plan? You were going to be a drug runner? Or go Live in the sewers?" She asked none to impressed you felt scolded and skittish under her gaze and you didn't even see it. A mothers; in this case grandmother's disapproving gaze was felt. "I...I was a drug runner on and off...Then well I made a delivery to the Joker...He was...Frightening and I called it quits after that...Didn't want to be near the big leagues...Big people let their little people die" Martha crossed her arms this was new you never really spoke about how you survived normally brushed them off. "You ever try these drugs?" The question was meant to be casual but didn't quite hit the mark, you shook your head truthfully. "Couldn't risk it...If I reacted bad I could of...Well killed people so it just didn't seem like a good idea" she eyed you carefully and nodded she believed you. "Right well don't let you dad find out... But seriously you should think about what you want to do with your room everyone needs their own personal space" you heaved a deep breath smoothing out the layer of eggshells on the dirt covering the pot. Martha said dusting her hands off leaning on hand on her hip the other palm was flat on the table next to you.

"Okay right out with it...Come on whats going on in that mind of yours?" Her voice wasn't irritated she seemed more worried, wanting to know what was going on so she could fix it rather than to berate you for it. You swallowed moving our arms shrugging at her with a heavy sigh. "Just...I- it only been a few months not that long- things are going well now...But they might not be-I'm still dangerous my power can react at anything at anytime-" you were cut off by a clump of moist dirt hitting your cheek splatting across your lips making you spit and retch. Ew. You growled looking at her with a scowl. "Hey-what the fuck?-ugh ew no stop it!" Martha scoffed and flicked another small clump of mud at your face making you splutter spitting out the small flecks of dirt in your mouth. You looked up appalled at her wiping your tongue and she just hummed chuckling nodding a playful smile. "Yes I see it has incredible reflexes, nothing gets passed it~" you glared at her as she chuckled louder then flashed your eyes playfully and pulled at the water in the watering can urging it up the spout sending a large slosh of water over her croc covered feet she jumped back giggling lightly but stepped back to the table moving the pots back turning around leaning back on the table patting it. "Up you go darling time for a little chit chat" you frowned Your laughter dieing...This was it, they'd grown bored of you...You bit your lip preparing for the inevitable still wiping your face wanting the dirt off but obeyed sitting on the table looking down. She didn't let you for long stepping in front of you tilting your face up and pushed away a few locks of hair. "You always hide behind these curls...I wish you'd pull them out of your face and let me see my beautiful little granddaughter..." Martha spotted the eye roll and pinched you chin making you look at her. "I'm not your grand-" she frowned moving the hair to stay behind your ears then smiled. "Hush....Ah and there it is..." you frowned not following her trying to avoid her all seeing gaze "There’s what?" You bit out still expecting to be told to pack up and leave. These types of talks are never good, your being shipped off. Back to the tower not that you'd stay fuck them you never needed them. You don’t need anyone! "The doubt of a scared little girl, you hide it or you try to...But its there your eyes are a window we all see it...You think your poker face is perfect but...You Y/n L/n Kent are an open book...Clark sees it to he wants to help he loves you, I love you and so does konner" You furrowed you brows and tried shaking your head wanting to look anywhere other than her. You couldn't look her in the eye with whats coming, they stutter when you do makes it harder for them to be rid of you. "I-I don’t know what- Look I don’t need an excuse just say what you need to say!" she shook her head tutting and continued butting in before you could talk yourself into a panic. "Don’t give me that crap...You still think we're just gonna dump you off somewhere eventually...Well you better think again missy...You are my granddaughter, Clarks daughter and Konners sister and that is the end of it we love you! And nothing is going to change that y/n..." "W-What? Your...your not getting rid of me? But that’s what they do...When they want to talk" you asked heart clenching but Martha gasp seeing you trying to bottle up your devastation and anger. She turned cupping both sides of your face shaking her head looking mortified you'd think such a thing. It was then she truly saw just how much damage was there. You thought you were disposable and could be thrown away at anypoint. "No! No no of course not...Oh god sweety no listen I just-This is exactly why we need to talk my love...We are never ever abandoning you...My god your ours! And you are never going anywhere! We love you but we...We don't really know what you need you never ask for anything love...But your here and that's it you belong here with us" you blinked rapidly you couldn't help but buy it, believe maybe foolishly that this time it was the real deal. You whimpered trying to save face wiping away the tears before they shed. "B-but my power-" you started to argue but was quickly shushed as she held a finger to your lips and rolled her eyes with a light hearty chuckle. "Makes you no more dangerous then Clark or Konner now enough...I don't care, and I don't want to hear it anymore...You hear me? You are not going to attack me at all we all know that by now...Your breaking your fathers heart, he knows you still feel unsafe here and your just waiting to be abandoned again and its not happening...Now this afternoon you and your dad are gonna sit down and look at some ideas for you room which you are both going to redecorate together over the weekend. A few days bonding with him will do the world of good and might make you finally accept that you are going no where" you looked down with a deep sigh and picked at the loose splinters of wood on the table pulling thin strands of the wood.

"He loves you, you silly girl we all do...I know you still have your original bag packed stuffed between the desk and wall, it's how we found you last time" you snapped your head up to her what? Your bag gave you away? She shrugged to you with a cheeky grin. "Oh what you think that phone's been magically charging itself for three months? I've been charging it and your uncle Bruce may have tracked it for us to find you quicker...Having your dad flying all over smallville in the state he was when you went missing wouldn't have been very subtle...He'd have ripped the place to shreds and terrified the locals" you blinked at her. He was actually worried? You thought it'd been an act. you flushed heart tingling and warming when the thought of someone caring enough about you to worry when you vanished. "I hope that soon you will unpack it...Clark is...He is at a loss he wants to get to know you but doesn't want to push he is frightened he would chase you off...Just please talk...Whatever it is we can help we just want you to be happy and safe" you looked down sadly unsure how to express yourself. The Kents had been brilliant but you just...Something made it hard for you to let go of the past. Your Mum and Dad the ones you couldn't save who died whilst screaming...They had called out for you! for you to save them but you couldn't you were weak...Defenseless even with this gift you couldn't protect them...A life time of guilt a life time of being alone, telling yourself that you can't lose people if you don't have them around you. How could you explain that? how did you explain it wasn't what you'd do necessarily it was also what if you couldn't help? couldn't save them? tears welled in your eyes at the thoughts and you sighed shuddering a breath. Martha moved closer standing between your knees and hugged you pulling you to her shoulder holding you tight rubbing your back hushing you and suddenly for the first time you cried. You sobbed gut wrenching cries into her. Until then the only other person to hold you had been Clark and that had been to prove a point. You moved trying to pull back apologizing for snotting all over her but she was having none of it she held tighter petting your hair softly kissing your head. "Hey?...Its okay...I got you baby we got you...You don't have to be frightened anymore...Or alone we are here for you...We are my love I promise" you shook your head still weeping into her the flood gates opened and you let loose. Martha was happy and gutted, she knew you needed to get this out but at the same time it was difficult to hear you shatter like this. A normally stoic sarcastic unshakeable and frankly stressed out teen finally cracking masks dropping and finally opening up, showing the true terrified little girl she really was. "But its bad!...I shouldn't-youll just!? and like the rest I cant-I wont!!" You fought to maintain an even voice but failed miserably spitting out the words rushing them with broken sobs. Martha was quick to ask she needed to know whats going on, needed to reassure you to fix the issues if she could. "Whats bad pumpkin? What's wrong sweety?" Her voice was calm a gentle lull that aimed to sooth you and draw the truth from you. "...M-My parents they-they died!...I tri-ed they y-yelled for help-to me THEY CALLED OUT TO ME! and I didn't...I couldn't and on the beach...It was my fault! mine...If I'd held on they could have made it!! and-and now with you guys! I wont be able to...I can't.? Youll die! And itll be my fault! Its always my fault...And then its- I don't want to replace them-my real parents" You shook your head no. you tried pulling back again this time Martha let you and moved holding either side of your face as fat tears still streamed down your face. You cried harder coughing and hyperventilating choking on your own sobs panicked looking for a way out. She held steady holding both hands firmly on your face well aware of the earth beneath her feet moving sifting like sand but she ignored it, her grandbaby needed her and so she began talking you through the attack.

"shh shh calm yourself down...Thats it its okay...Your alright I've got you...I've got you baby... Good girl see thats it a little more...Deeper breaths in then out...Good" Martha held her breath as you coughed a few more times your breathing was fast but you were calmer your tears still flowing freely but it was a soft quiet crying as opposed to the borderline hysterical sobs moments ago. That was it the final piece to the puzzle, you didn't want to disrespect your real parents by accepting new ones- or in this case a new father. And you felt responsible for there deaths carrying that type of guilt wasn't healthy for anyone. "...Okay...Okay baby...Grandma understands now...It wasn't your fault...None of this was your fault and don't you think otherwise ever...Your parents loved you and were probably yelling for you to hide and stay still...And the beach that wasn't your fault the atlanteans did that...They tried to declare war honey...If you wanted to I'm sure your uncle Arthur would talk to you about it...He felt guilty when he found out" you gasped and shook your head panicked at her.

"No! It wasn't his fault" she smiled at that he'd be happy to know according to Clark the man was beating himself up over it. She'd have to mention something to Clark to get the message across. "Or yours love...You couldn't have known what was going to happen...No one did we didn't-Clark didn't" You sucked in a deep breath and shook your head and opened your mouth to argue that you should have been stronger. "No no...I'm not done love...Do you think your mum and dad would want you to be alone?...Isolate yourself and refuse to live with a new family? That they want you to be unhappy?..I'm not asking you to forget them but its been a long time and maybe its time to accept that another family wants to be yours to protect you and guide and love you in your parents stead" you frowned wiping your face in vain as the tears still poured. "B-But what about you?- what if I can't save you? or Konner or-or" Martha shook her head at you chuckling raking her hands through your hair over and over in a soothing motion. "You don't have to...You don't have to save us love...Your dad is superman there isn't a lot he can't over come and konner is just behind him...And if anything ever happens here I'll have all three of you...Please don't make yourself unhappy in fear of loosing us, we aren't going anywhere" you blinked at her but gave a small smile Martha relaxed and hugged you again giving you one last kiss on your forehead. "Really? I'm- I don't need to....I wont be alone?" she shook her head at you somehow getting this off your chest made you fell lighter, it was freeing. You nodded thoughts still racing, no one ever took the time to really listen but it- Martha made sense your parents wouldnt want you to be alone would they? even if it was your fault which you still belived it was...They probably were crying out for you to hide, they must have known what was happening and only managed your name befor everything collapsed...The beach, well that was...It was war or the start of one. Seeing that she had gave you a lot to think about she patted your shoulders and nodded to the house. "Go have a shower and relax, we can plant these in the garden tomorrow...Just chill for today okay?" you gulped and slipped off the table to the floor slowly and turned timidly to hug her taking her by surprize you moved up on tip toes kissing her cheek and pulled away. "Thank you Grandma...That-You made sense" and with that you ran off letting the door slam behind you on your way out sprinting to your room.

It took a while but after a few days of deliberation you finally come to terms with everything. Nothing else had been mentioned about it over the past few days, well things had been pretty normal but you'd been thinking alot. Martha made a lot of sense it wasn't a eurica moment but it had switched you on. Maybe it was time to move on...You'd never forget your parents you'd never stop loving them but maybe...Maybe you could love your new family to. That’s what they were...What they were trying to be a family it was just you that was the problem, to cut off and dare you say 'emotional stunted'. No one had ever just let you unload onto them like that before, by the time you were due to start therapy you were already in the hospital being sedated under the mental health act. You never had anyone to talk to and by the end of that ordeal you'd found a way to deal with it, reasoned with your own guilt and had your own take on what happened. Maybe this could be a new start...Its never to late right? Maybe you should just start interacting instead of avoiding them, you and konner got on you were friends but Clark and Martha...You'd tried not to be around them much. No point getting under their feet besides you didn't need to many attachments if you were completely honest talking to konner was just so you didn't go mad, you needed atleast one person to talk to. It was late on friday morning when Martha and Konner had left to go shopping. You woke up to Martha placing some more design magazines on your desk by the door. Grandma you mentally corrected yourself had said she was going out and would be back around dinner time with take out. She must have brought them up to try and sway you, wanting you to make the first move with..Dad. You hadn't approached him yet still nervous and every time you did get a bit of spine Konner was there to you didn't want to make a fool of yourself. She winked at you and nodded, it will be fine. Once she left you sat up skimming through the book's quickly then looked about the room you were in, it was spacious and at the back of the house...You hadn't the foggiest idea what to do with it at all, you’d never done this sort of thing before. You felt silly but it was kind of a big thing for you...The finality of making your mark on the house. It was daunting. You held the catalogues in your lap for a moment looking around...You should probably paint it your favorite color right? but what was your favorite color?...It had been so long since you thought about stuff like that you were stumped. You moved slowly to the door magazines in hand, it was time to start trying. You padded down the stairs timidly and peeked through the banister, Clark was in the kitchen sitting at the table. You sat on the step for a few seconds taking deep breaths watching him from between the wooden spokes in the banister then nodded you moved and hovered by the door. He looked tired reading the paper before him drinking his coffee. He must be tired there was an incident in india last night..Landslide he was there for a few hours digging out survivors and that says alot considering who he was. You crept up behind him and stood awkwardly curling your toes.

"Err clar-Dad?" He froze shoulders going rigid and turned slowly blinking a few times, he was shocked but happy? A grin spread across his face making his eyes practically glow. He swallowed placing down the paper he was reading. "Y-yes? Whats up?" You could see a slight tremble as he was trying to contain himself. You moved and sat next to him and placed the magazines on the table. "I err...well Grandma said that I can decorate my room...She got me these but, I've never done it and don't...I don't know what I can do or what to do...I can you help me?" He nodded quickly clearing the table he was vibrating with excitement, happy that his mother got through to you. You smiled and spread out the books. "So what do you like? Have you thought about any colors or themes" you blinked a little and flicked through the first magazine. "I like the sea" you said in a small voice sounding weird you'd never really spoke about your likes and dislikes before it was kind of irrelevant. You suddenly perked up drawing Clarks attention as you gasped seeing a few images of murals. "I...That’s cool I like the second photo...With the big mural its cool..." Clark looked over your shoulder smiling nodding it was very light and airy the room was three walls of faux white brick the final wall was a huge mural of the suspension bridge separating Gotham and Metropolis. "It is different you could have the mural on the wall across from your bed" you thought about it and smiled sheepishly nodding. "You think they have a beach one...Not like white sand and clear water...But like rocky? With forrest and stuff that sort of seaside raw and rugged..." Clark smiled as you muttered away listing off ideas. Finally you were showing your true colours a bright and happy young girl slowly peeking out from behind her curtain of curls. "Well they should if not we can always go and take our own pictures" you gasped looking up at him shaking your head. "No no we don't...You don't have to do that..." you mumbled quickly avoiding his gaze. "Its no hassle...I do work for the daily planet I have access to some of the best cameras around...Ixm sure we could get a panoramic shot..We can fly out and find you a perfect spot it won't be that hard to scale it up and have one printed" he shrugged closing his own magazine waiting for you to answer. You twiddled your fingers it did sound fun...You'd never been anywhere before by plane the idea of going somewhere even quieter then this was very tempting you could just imagine the waves. "You can't book a holiday just so I can decorate...I'll just find one online" he chuckled at you shaking his head trying to hold back his amusement, he didn't want you to think he was laughing at you. "Oh no sweetheart I meant I will fly us out somewhere...It'll take a few minuets but there’s a great couple of island's near Vancouver extremely beautiful and lush there should be some good places there " you faltered then flushed. Oh yeah he can fly...Over the past few months you kind of forgot he was superman he was just Clark to you...Now dad. You took a breath. It was weird saying dad again. But you didn't feel bad about it just uneasy, what if he was doing this just to make sure you don't loose your mind and turn on them...Was that it? There must be a reason.

"Hey honey whats wrong? Gone all quiet all of a sudden, if you don't want to I can always ask your uncle Arthur to take a photo for us...Hell he might even have a few of his buddies photo bomb for you" Clark added trying to lighten the mood but secretly he was worried. Your happy dispositions had gone and you looked ready to run off and hide again. He was a little disappointed at the prospect of not being able to fly you off and spend a father daughter day at the beach, but these things would take time. "No no we can go! I want to go! it's just...I err forgot you were...That you could...Your just normal around here and just feel a little silly...I've also never been flying like at all and its just a little daunting" Clark grinned placing a hand on your shoulder squeezing it lightly. He was relieved you did want to spend time with him you were shy that was all. "That’s not silly at all and I promise flying with me is the safest way, I wont drop you, I'll never drop you, you can count on it...How about we go tomorrow afternoon? I can go borrow a camera from the office in the morning" you smiled into your lap twisting your t-shirt in your fingers nodding quickly trying to keep your nerves at bay. "Really? That's err fast and what about konner and grandma? Won't they want to come?" Clark's heart melted and burst all in one hearing you worry over your brother and grandmother. He was finally at ease. This wasn't a ruse you did think of them as family you did already love them. He'd ask his Ma about what was said but he doubts she'll tell him. But even if she didn't he's forever grateful to her because what ever was said has finally worked and for the first time he can truly say he felt like you'd accepted him as your new father and that meant the world to him. "Well they might but I have it on good authority that whilst we are having our father daughter weekend. Ma and konner are going to have fun of there own and spend the weekend in the city 'living it up' I have no doubt in my mind that they will be making good use of my savings...I have a feeling konner is going to wrangle himself a new xbox..." you looked down nervously the whole weekend? Alone with him. He moved his hand to ruffle your hair. "Hey...Its okay like I said we don't have to go flying, we do have to go to home depo tho ma still wants her makeshift greenhouse." You frowned he sounded defeated you turned facing him eye steely determined not to chicken out. This had to work, this was your home and you had to try harder. "I want to though...A-and like you said...You wont drop me I'd rather go flying for the first time with you rather then konner...He'd drop me just to catch me again and I'd probably piss myself" you muttered akwardly. "Then its settled! Tomorrow we go to the beach and take photos for your bedroom! Do you have a swimsuit? And some summer clothes it might be hot there and pack some suncream I wont have you burning! If you forget it your staying in the shade~" you smiled meekly at him nodding you did have a few summer clothes, some cotton shorts and a vest top should be fine. "Good you can pack a bag in the morning" he added grinning ear to ear finally feeling as though he had a chance to step in. You had opened the door and it was his job to make it stay that way. You crouched over the books with him feeling more and more confident as you began pointing out things in the books that you liked with him finally relaxing with him. Then it hit you like a truck. This really was it! Your very own room, your own home and a proper family.

You felt yourself getting choked up windpipe closing tightly only managing a few small hums in agreement as he pointed out different things colors and diy ideas. You took a deep breath trying to swallow the lump away from your throat. It was when tears blurred your vision and you sniffled trying to hold it back that Clark made his move wrapping you up in his arms all but dragging you out of your chair onto his lap. You wriggled trying to be released more out of habit then actually wanting to get away but he held firm tucking your head into his shoulder shushing you. "Your alright...I've got you I promise" he didn't speak after those words letting them sink in, he didn't need to say more then that his message was clear. You'd been accepted the fear and anxiety was melting away in one huge mass of relief as he just held you close one arm pinning you to him the other moving grabbing the pen that lived on the kitchen table and a small note pad used for shopping lists. He bit the lid off the pen and began writing a small list of what you'd need to get for your room. You tucked your face into him whining pitifully for the first time in years feeling truly safe and secure.

#superman x you #superman x teen reader #superman x y/n #clark kent x teen reader #clark kent x y/n #dc x teen reader

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weclassybouquetfun · 4 years ago

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It’s here! It’s here! The SnyderCut is here!

Now can people stop talking about it?

Minor thoughts on ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE.

*Spoilers*.

I had forgotten nearly everything about JUSTICE LEAGUE so I watched key parts to see how it differs from Snyder’s realized vision. Remember, Snyder was largely finished with the film so reportedly only 15 to 20% of what ended up in the initial release was directed by Whedon, then he took the hatchet to a lot of Snyder’s footage. The SnyderCut is a mix of piecing back discarded footage and a few new scenes.

I am curious how long Snyder’s theatrical release would have been because there is no way WB would have let him leave it at 4 hours and 2 minutes film (with 3 hours and 53 minutes of it actually being film and the rest end credits - no tag at the end.). The new footage - or what I discern to be new - only amounts to perhaps 10 minutes.

What changes did I notice?

- Thank Rao they fixed (for the most part) Henry Cavill’s face due to mustache-gate.

Then

Now

- The Wonder Woman rescue scene in the beginning was much longer in the SnyderCut. Whedon cut out her talk with the little girl (which granted is a bit too on the nose), and instead added a scene at the end with Diana and kids showing how inspirational she is. Whedon’s version also left out Snyder Cut’s implication that Diana killed the bad guy.

- In the Whedon version Diana is wearing a red dress as she, Bruce and Alfred tours the eventual Hall of Justice (but felt more like the Justice Society headquarters). In the SnyderCut they changed her dress to black or a deep, dark purple.

- The re-institution of Barry’s rescue of Iris. It’s a nice introduction to Barry and Iris as Kiersey Clemons reprises her role in The Flash standalone.

-Gone is Whedon’s comic-y bit where Barry draws on an agro dude’s face when he goes to visit his father. I don’t miss the scene, but I appreciated it because the Clerk who handles sign ins is Marc McClure who played Jimmy Olsen in the Christopher Reeves Superman films. Though, on re-watch it appears McClure was brought back as the cop who pulls his gun out when Superman returns.

-The SnyderCut Bruce and Arthur scene is a smidge longer. Whedon’s version tried to cut to the chase about the Mother Boxes so there’s a mural that Bruce wants Arthur to explain, whereas the SnyderCut it’s just Bruce slyly letting Arthur know he knows his secret and recruit him.

Also - gone is the, “I heard you talk to fishes.” line.

- I feel we get more of Connie Nielsen’s Queen Hippolyta in this than in “Wonder Woman” and “Wonder Woman 1984″ combined.

I’d bow before her anytime.

-Extended scene between Barry and his dad when Barry tells him about getting a gig at a crime lab. It’s abbreviated in Whedon’s cut so I’m glad Snyder restored it because it is a sweet scene and really displays why Barry is fighting so hard for his dad. It makes it even more of a shame that Billy Crudup will not be in The Flash standalone as there’s a filming conflict. I would really like to see more of them together.

- Maybe I missed it in the original release, but the introduction of Ryan Choi!!

- Much more Cyborg! I really loved the scenes focused on he and his mother and his relationship with Cyrus, as well as Cyborg’s wall of exposition that creatively places him in the locations he’s talking about.

-Explanation of this tagline.

MARTIAN MANHUNTER! I wasn’t surprised because Harry Lennix has discussed his MAN OF STEEL character General Swanwick being Martin Manhunter, but seeing how it was executed was really nice. Especially the scene with Martian Manhunter as Martha Kent. It touched me because my favorite Martian Manhunter story is a short set in the Golden Age about MM, in his human form, watching over Superboy. He introduces himself to the Kents and they quickly deduce he’s an alien and asks him if he’s come to take Clark from them. It was a story about the care Kal-El had on two fronts. So I really responded to this scene where MM is still caring for Clark by way of making sure Lois deals with her grief.

- Knocked up Lois. I wasn’t even sure if she was actually pregnant or not but at the end when Bruce and Clark are walking to the Kent Farm Bruce tells him “Congratulations” whereas in the Whedon release they’re jabbering about something else.

-Additional scenes of the dystopic future in the aftermath of Superman going rogue. Jared Leto’s brief scene makes up for how much he was cut out of THE SUCIDE SQUAD. And it’s a continuance of the dance Batman and The Joker has done in the comics and in THE DARK KNIGHT. Two people who just can’t quit each other.

- Snyder showing actors what directors think of their ideas. Jared Leto conviced Sndyer to let him improvise the “We live in a society” line that every went mad over on Twitter, but it’s not in the final cut.

- I loved Snyder’s Nolan-esque end montage. Gone is the Lois Lane narration, replaced by Joe Morton’s Cyrus Stone in a message to Victor. This works better because five of six of our heroes have parental issues : Victor and his dad, Clark and Jor-El and an overprotective Jonathan, Bruce’s dead parents, Aquaman’s absent mother and Barry’s dead mom and jailed father. So ending it with some peace for Victor and Arthur leaving Mera and Vulko but at least now he has a connection to the Atlantean world and new beginnings for the rest was a better choice.

#the justice league #zack snyder #the snyder cut #Ezra Miller #kiersey clemons #ben affleck #henry cavill #Gal Gadot #dceu #dceu films #dcu #jla #justice league #zack snyder's justice league #Jason Momoa #comic book films

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wo-wann-was-wer · 5 years ago

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WHAT I WAS THINKING: DARK SEASON 3 EDITION

EPISODE 1:

Who are these dudes with the harelip and what do they want

Why did she just take him to a cave and leave that’s kinda rude

So everything in this universe is just gonna be backwards. Love it

Ugh I’ve said this a million times but this show has such Fringe energy and I can’t wait to get a tattoo for this too

This is super freaking me out, i dont like that everyone’s in everyone else’s house.

Ooooh Katharina with glasses yes girl you better work.

I like Michael and this hat he’s rocking

Super into the fact that magnus and fransizka are involved in this universe too

There’s nothing cuter than sex before school. Ahhh the nostalgia

Ten bucks says that Hannah gets out of this bed and is pregnant

Fucking YEP

I am loving Martha in this Jonas journey

I know that all they did was flip the lens of the camera but my brain is breaking at this flipped Winden

Who the fuck is this random dude Martha is with

You know what he kind of looks like Jonas. I wonder if that's relevant or if I'm just grasping at straws

Bartosz looks like he's going to his first grade violin recital

I straight up just did not recognize Charlotte with makeup. She looks hot

There's got to be another person in that picture other than Ulrich because that's a lot of space to rip out for one person

okay hold up Woller looks so good and then when I saw that he was missing an arm I almost lost my fucking mind

Oh shit okay Hannah is living in Katharina's house.

Oh my God are Ulrich and Charlotte having an affair

Is it normal in Germany for kids to just walk into classes that aren't there’s and just sit down

follow up he has a clear noose mark on his neck

Aleksander looks so hot with this beard. universe B is the fucking glow up universe

It's weirding me out that the whole school is black and gray instead of light brown

The look of satisfaction on katharina's face

Wow honestly Louis just broke my heart with his facial expression when he realized his mom didn't know who he was

he looks so scared

Yes yes do it afffffffffair

Oh no you done got found out!!!

Oh the theme of the play here is red and set of gold

Fransizka looks so cute in this little outfit

Oh my God she's deaf!!!!

What the fuck. the fact that this actress can talk is blowing my mind

RIP to Regina a real queen

Peter's a fucking priest

All the fucking weird-ass freaky motherfucking trio is back

The dopplers have the same house That's cool

excuse me sir I think your child is broken

these guys are so creepy What the fuck

I definitely don't like the piano wire

oh this motherfucker is the one who gets lost

I feel like winden in this universe is just a little bit fancier

Well Charlotte and Ulrich just be fucking like crazy

Bartosz is the Jonas of this group and I love it

who was that??????

I cannot get over Aleksander in this beard

I like that things are opposite but they also have things that are different enough.

Like I'm so into the fact that they all went down into the bunker

who in the unholy fuck is that. who is that

Oh shit old Martha

What the fuck is this Tannhaus’ factory we're at

hold up Martha's in 1888

What the fuck. why is Jonas in 1888 and looking SO good

EPISODE 2:

casually sitting over your bed watching you sleep

he's look so good though

yo what the fuck everybody else is there too

Oh no things got really ugly at Mads’ wake

Not for nothing but Tronte is a dick

I kind of don't understand why Claudia would want Regina to live in such pain in this type of universe

Peter is such a good boy

lurking is the freaking national past time of this place

Oh shit we got some spin-off timeline stuff good

who is This is blind guy

I love Katharina so fucking much

I know what she's thinking and it's the same thing I'm thinking which is can I kill a child

why does this picture of Tronte make him look like Jimmy Smits

Katharina looks amazing in this jacket

Also I definitely did not just start yelling GO GET YOUR MAN KATHARINA

Regina just gets more and more badass as time goes on. Also all of the women of the tiedemann family are so fucking badass

I am so excited to watch this fucking relationship develop. they're both too cute

awwww he's using signs!

oh they're writing back and forth

DAMNIT PETER

I always feel like little Noah should do fuckboy sign offs when he leaves rooms because he's so smooth

yesterday Laurel said that this was back to the future but serious and just now Bartosz said it's not super easy to get nuclear fuel in 1888 and now I think that Laurel's right

I will never get over how good he looks JONAAAASSSSSSS

This guy feels like the OG inventor of sic mundus right

Katerina why are you even trying to check in at the front desk bitch Go and get your man

Is this Katarina's mom why does she just recognize that woman's name

everyone on the show is so talented.I spend the whole damn time being like oh my god the performances on the show and it's like yeah we know

Katerina get your man

I literally love them so much look at the look on her face She is a mama bear She is not going to let anybody take her man or her children and I love her

Not a huge fan of people who quote Shakespeare right before they kill other people or am I an enormous fan of people who use Shakespeare right before they kill other people

using a garotte to kill someone is ugly as fuck

I feel so bad for Jana

see this is one of the reasons why I'm like why would you bring Regina back to this world.

wowwwww TRONTE what's up dude

YO WHAT

Oh so how did Charlotte get back there but Elizabeth's still there too. didn't they switch places?

oh the head bump

Not excited for the mother daughter abuse stuff that's about to happen

I love these split sequences that they do at the end

anytime somebody stands and stairs for a lonely at a spot on the ground I assume to somebody died there

Oh shit that guy is a tannhausokkkk I see you

a religious images we love to see it.

This show is a whole series of pause that frame.

No I ruined something for myself!!!!

EPISODE 3

got to love those through and through Ariadne references

okay so Charlotte's great great grandfather has her watch?

who are these horrible traveler human beings

they look like less sexy Francis dolarhydes

I can't get over the fact that wollers missing an arm here I swear

we ARE the glitch BITCH

alternate universe Ulrich is a better person than standard Ulrich

what's this new like zoom-y thing they're doing

I was attracted to Magnus at this jump of the show but he looks better with dark hair

How did they not all die of fucking flu

eternally repeating deja vu

I looked at the production stills and I was like what the fuck is this hair do that Moritz has but he looks amazing

Also everyone on this show deserves an acting award

and Magnus is wearing a skeleton sweater

Hannah does that deep dive detective work any bitch knows the Nose doesn't lie

why doesn't anybody want to fuck wöller

omgggg eat the RICH

also he has that x tattoo on his hand that represents the no future thing

oh the light is rectangular and not circular ooooooh fancy

The show is also a lot of people catching each other's wrists as they walk away

I knew we couldn't trust this bitch

What did he give her

I love the parallels and characters behaviors between universe a and universe b

I want to know how Noah factored into all of this on this side

Martha has a type and her type is iconically Aryan

Oh Aleksander's back with that beard he's back

Hannah is such a snake

Omg that's her!!!!! I thought she was a trans actress.. hm. not super happy bout that :/

What is Helge talking about Ulrich did what??? omg

I would be like SIR DO WE NEED TO FIGHT STOP FOLLOWING ME

I stopped taking notes for the last half of that episode cuz I was really sucked in haha

EPISODE 4

FIRST OF ALL I'D LIKE TO GO ON RECORD THAT I DON'T CARE FOR THESE GENTLEMEN AT ALL

second of all why is this guy being like oh I took your name

why does he have Agnes's bracelet I don't like that

I don't like anything about this guy That's the end of the story

Also hold up a red hot second is Agnes dead cuz if so that's a hate crime

see what did I say

I knew that Hannah was going to get involved with Egon

from the second she walked in that office I was like that bitch has her eye on him and as she should he's handsome as fuck

Also he spoils her so much more than any other man she's ever been with AKA is Egon the only man she ever deserved

Is Hannah going to develop a heart cuz I'm not sure how I feel about that

Also what happens if Hannah gets pregnant

why is Ines a bitch I thought she was mad cool the beginning and now I feel fucking deceived

Also it's such a sweet gig that The kids who are playing kids can now play teenagers

poor Doris. Also he was shitty to her but he was far nicer than I would have been

Doris is so beautiful it's bullshit

older Magnus is so handsome

All I wanted was middle-aged Martha

bitch you have been having unprotected sex with him why do you think that pregnancy was not on the tabl

I'm like who's this guy in the church if it's not Noah I bet it's that little bitch

yeah I fucking knew it

Is this the dude that was married to Agnes I feel like this guy isn't real or something

I'm not surprised he let her go but I don't know why I'm not surprised. I feel like she's important to his timeline and I'm not sure why

look at these relationships forming between these sweet little bab

Hannah looks good in this red. Hannah looks good in all of these styles.

who is this child

I like that already as a child Bernd had his eye on Claudia as someone who was smart and had a ton of potential

I keep forgetting that I'm taking notes because I get so invested in episodes

Also I realize the zoomi thing which is going back and forth between the universes

Is Agnes Silja’s mom And if so with whom

he gave her Agnes’ bracelet that dope All right Tronte

Wow Claudia needs to back off her man

Claudia force him into a relationship with her

I fucking hate Hannah but sometimes she speaks so much sense

ooh I don't need anyone Yes girl that's true You don't need anyone You needing people was what made you act fucking crazy You don't need anybody

This was always my big problem with Hannah was that I initially identified with her because she was such a survivor but then she did such horrible reprehensible things I just couldn't let it go and I absolutely couldn't identify with her anymore

Oh here's my daddy Noah looking so good

I mean okay so I have been in this position before where I was cheating and then my man cheated on me and I was like how dare you but also you cannot be mad if your partner cheats on you when you cheated too. You both fucked up

Is Hannah going to have a redemption arc cuz that's a lot

Oh my God she's not going to get rid of this child is she

Oh my great God I cannot believe that she gave Helene that necklace.

I knew she was fucking connected to Katharina in the older generation I knew it

Louis and Lisa are a super cute couple and I know that they're not dating in real life but I think that they're very cute together

Oh everybody fucking

yeah they created the Apocalypse yeah

Oh no they have a child outside of worlds that's a mess How does that work so they had they gave birth to that ugly fuck

honestly I hate that he's their child for the most part just because he's ugly as fuck and neither of them are ugly as fuck so it makes me mad.

#episodes 1-4 #live reacts #dark season 3 #spoilers #spoilers dark season 3 #dark #dark network

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saiilorstars · 5 years ago

Text

Next Stop Everywhere

Chapter 21: The Silver Monsoon

Fandom: Doctor Who

Pairing: 10th Doctor x Female OC

(Minerva’s face claim: Victoria Camacho)

(Kaeya’s Face claim: Michelle Trachtenberg)

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Chapter summary: The Doctor returns to the Silver Monsoon after years of its death, only to find Princess Kaeya's most prized possession.

The pronunciation of Kaeya is “kay-ah”!

// Story Masterlist //

"So you see, I have to write a creative story for this stupid class and I have nothing to write about," I finished telling the Doctor of my newest assignment for school to which he immediately offered his assistance to. I looked over and saw he was blankly staring at the console. "Doctor? Did you listen?"

He blinked, suddenly remembering I was here, and looked at me, "Oh, hello..."

I sighed, "Hello."

"Sorry, what was that?"

I sighed again, more irritated with his lack of attention after he was the one who asked me to explain. "Doctor, if you're not gonna listen then don't waste my time. I have this hard assignment and it's really pissing me off."

"Language," he pointed.

"No."

"Minerva?"

"Martian?"

"Okay," he waved it off, "What were you talking about?"

"No, I wanna know why you weren't listening. You've been doing that a lot lately. Please tell me, I'll keep it a secret."

Ever since we returned from the whole Lazarus event, the Doctor had seemed somewhat distant from Martha and I and pretty much everything else. It seemed like something, or someone, was occupying all his thoughts. And if it was the same culprit that occupied his mind since China, I had a pretty fair idea of who it was...

The Doctor leaned back on his seat, sighing deeply, "Kaeya."

What a shocker...

"What about her?" I did my best to act like it didn't bother me and since he was more oblivious than usual, it wasn't that hard to fool him.

"I've been having these dreams of her..."

"Oh...nice..." I looked away, not sure if it was right to feel jealous of a dead woman.

"I dreamt of the first time we met each other, in person..." he started smiling, getting lost in his thoughts once again.

"And?" I hit his arm, reminding him he had to continue if he was starting a new story.

"And...just the time we spent together..."

"Doctor, I don't mean to be nosy but, um..." I cleared my throat, turning to face him completely, "...were you and Kaeya...you know..." I swayed my head, "...together?"

"What? No! No..." he shook his head, "...Time Lords and the people of the Monsoon were prohibited from even seeing each other."

"Why's that?"

"I never knew. I suspected Kaeya did but she didn't want to tell me. All I knew was that Time Lords were supposed to detest the Monsoon kind. They had something they shouldn't have..."

"But that didn't stop you from seeing her, did it?"

"No," he smiled, probably thinking of her again, "She was much too wonderful to let go."

"Mhm," I nodded, forcing myself to calm down inside. For a pair that were not together, they sure sounded like it...

"But, anyways, what were you talking about? You're homework?" he looked down at the journal on my lap.

"Oh," I looked down at it as well, forgetting for a moment it was still there, "I have to write a creative story and my mind is blank."

"Minerva, you're a time traveler. I'm sure there's something you can think about."

"You'd think that, but...it doesn't. It doesn't feel like any of our recent trips is something to talk about to the humans."

"What do you want to talk about, then?"

"Something fantastic, something worth remembering, something..."

"The Monsoon," he whispered, still managing to cut me off.

"Huh?"

"Would you like to visit the Silver Monsoon with me?"

"As in...Kaeya's planet?" I raised an eyebrow, my stomach churning a little at that idea. Somehow, I don't think that would be good for me and my heart.

"Yeah, I haven't been there since the War, and I never gathered the courage to go back..."

And now I knew I had to say yes and accompany him there. Just like he accompanied me to Liv's gravestone and was there for me when I bid goodbye to her, I had to be there for him and watch him say goodbye to Kaeya. It was something he needed and deserved when it truly wasn't his fault she died. My jealousy could not get in the way of that.

"I understand if you don't want to come," he continued, trying to hide his clear disappointment of my silence.

"Of course I'll go," I took his hand, "You came with me to Liv's burial site, it's time I help you too."

"You want to go?" his eyes shined that spark of excitement they usually wore.

"Yes, and I promise you I will make a story of Kaeya and her people, dedicated to the people of the Monsoon."

"Really?"

"Yes, would you like that?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed, absolutely ecstatic about it, "You're truly wonderful!" he took me for a surprise hug, unable to see my shocked yet red face.

"Did I just walk into something?" Martha's voice pulled us apart, "Cause if I did..." I looked back and saw her smirking, probably thinking what would, and should, never happen.

"The Doctor offered me a place to write about," I said before she spoke anything that would compromise me.

"Oh..." her smirk fell and was replaced by a frown, "...boo."

"It's amazing!" the Doctor jumped from the chair and went to the console, "It used to be truly amazing! You should've seen it, Minerva, it was like Christmas all the time!" he rambled on as he made his rounds around the console, Martha moving beside me and both of us just nodding and listening, "There was snow everywhere! Ice lakes! Ice statues! Unfrozen lakes where the children would swim! Oh, they were excellent swimmers! They we're from the Monsoon! Of course they knew how to swim!"

"Is he going to breath anytime soon?" Martha whispered to me.

"Let's find out," I crossed my arms and listening on to the Martian.

"I loved the trees! They were covered with snow, what am I saying covered? They were made of snow! And they carried little ice spheres that you could actually eat! Imagine that, ice that you can eat!"

"Yeah, they're called Popsicles," Martha chuckled.

"These are better," he pointed violently, still smiling and laughing.

"Alright, so if this place is so wonderful, why haven't you taken us before?"

And then he stopped...

I walked over, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Because it's taken a lot of courage to return," he took my hand off his shoulder and held it in his own, "But he's finally doing it."

"What's so hard about going back?" Martha asked, eyeing our small moment, though no smirk as she saw this was a serious matter.

"I lost someone there," the Doctor answered quietly, lifting our interlocked hands and just staring at them as a source of distraction, "It's been one of the places I could never return to."

"And why are we going there suddenly?"

"Because I'm gonna write a story about it," I smiled, wanting to get one out of the Martian but failing miserably, "I'm gonna write about how beautiful it is, how accomplished the species was."

"Well, what are we waiting for, then?" Martha moved up to the console and hung onto it.

"You sure you want to go?" I asked the Doctor as he moved us to the console.

"You'll be there, right?" he questioned very quietly, I almost didn't hear him, "Every second?"

""You won't be able to get rid of me," I flashed him a grin.

"So when speak of this planet, the Monsoon, how come you use it in the past tense?" Martha asked, purposely keeping her gaze down, the small smirk playing on her lips.

"They, uh...they were killed," the Doctor replied, growing quiet once again.

"By what?"

"...by the hands of my people."

Martha gasped, her wide eyes looking at me for the same reaction but by my calmer attitude she learned that I already knew this, "How...how did that happen?"

"The Time War," he turned and leaned against the console, "Just one more of the species we brought down."

"Yeah, but it's not your fault," I reminded.

He smiled, still seemingly lost in thoughts, "They were good people. I never spoke to them, just Kaeya."

"And who was Kaeya?" Martha asked, becoming more curious.

"An old friend of mine..."

I glanced at Martha, letting her know with a look that Kaeya was probably more than just a "friend".

"Oh," she nodded.

It seemed that another woman had managed to steal his hearts...

~0~

I hopped onto mushy snow that plopped up to my ankles. Martha started shivering as soon as she stepped out, "It's so cold!"

"I think it's great!" I said, excitedly looking around.

"It's cold!"

"Zip up the jacket," the Doctor came out, "And you'll be fine."

She grumbled and did as told, "This places looks kind of...dead."

I noticed that while there was perfectly white snow covering the ground, most of the place was dim and gray. It looked like a snowstorm was headed this way...there was no Christmasy feeling. I started walking ahead, my shoes sploshing through the snow.

"It used to be beautiful," the Doctor remarked, he and Martha coming behind, "But that was a very long time ago."

"Is everyone gone, though?" Martha asked.

"I would suppose though, that was the story."

"But then you don't really know, huh?" That's why Martha was my best friend, she picked out what no one had noticed before.

"She's right," I turned back for them, "If all you ever heard was the story then maybe the people of the Monsoon managed to escape."

He sighed, not looking so hopeful, "They need the cold to survive. Their bodies need the coldest temperature around."

"Yeah, but this planet doesn't seem as cold."

"The people probably had a hand in that," he mumbled and walked ahead.

I sighed and watched after him, Martha stepping closer to me, "He doesn't look so good," she whispered.

"His hearts are breaking," I mumbled, going after him.

The Doctor had stopped at a cliff, and I almost slipped on the snow for leaning to close, "What's down there?"

He peered down, "It's mud."

"What kind? And why does it look like snow?"

"It's snow mud used for defensive tactics. These people had an army of some sort. They'd use the snow to cover up their scent."

I crinkled my nose at the smell, not at all agreeable, "It's disgusting!"

"Yeah, it smells horrible," Martha shook her head, "This doesn't seem like a very beautiful planet, honestly."

"This is hardly what the Silver Monsoon used to be, ma'am," an elderly man's voice spoke, making us turn and see the stranger across us.

The Doctor immediately pulled Martha and I behind him, as if the short man could actually hurt us. He was rather short, aged like a grandfather, and had ice blue eyes with gray hair that swiveled at the top. What really captivated my attention were the silver lines on his body. There were two swirly lines going across his cheeks and two more running up and down his arms.

"Who are you?" the Doctor demanded coldly, perhaps thinking the man was an intruder to Kaeya's home.

"My name is Mayar, and I am the last of my people to live on this planet," he declared, giving a small nod.

"You mean...this is your planet?" I blinked, trying to step around the Doctor but he kept forcing his arm in front of me.

"These are the marks of the Monsoon," he gestured to his silver marks.

"Who are you?" this time the Doctor's voice was a meek one, clearly shocked that not everyone had died like he believed.

"Mayar, one of very first Kings of the Silver Monsoon."

The Doctor looked stunned by the piece of information, his forceful arm barring me lowered down, "...you're Kaeya's grandfather."

Now it was Mayar's turn to be shocked, "You knew my granddaughter?"

"Knew her?" the Martian scoffed lightly, part of him seeming lost in thoughts, "I knew her straight to the core."

"Who are you?" Mayar questioned, "All of you?"

"I'm Minerva," I finally stepped around the Doctor, Martha doing the same on the other side, "That's the Doctor and Martha."

"Are you human? I don't believe humans have acquired space travel yet..."

I looked at the Doctor, wondering if he wanted to go with that lie or tell him who he really was.

"They're human," he gestured to Martha and I, "I'm...I'm a Time Lord."

You could tell he struggled to name himself, and the look Mayar was now giving him wasn't helpful, "And you dare step foot on my home after what you did?" Mayar stepped forwards.

"But he didn't do anything," I started to frown, who the hell did he think was?

"Yeah? His people put an end to my people, my family."

"You said it, his people. He didn't do anything except come and try to find your granddaughter."

"And if I picked up your words correctly, not all your people died," Martha joined in, "Or am I wrong?"

Seriously, love Martha right now.

"There were survivors," Maya conceded, looking solely at the Doctor, "If that eases your conscience a bit."

"Who survived?" the Doctor asked, his eyes glossy already, "How?"

"If you really knew Kaeya then you should know she wouldn't go down without a fight. She gave her life to save the little people we had left. But you know what, now that I think about it, I do believe you and Kaeya knew each other."

"You do?"

"Yes, my granddaughter spoke so good of the Time Lords she just had to have gotten all that silly affection for them from you. You filled her head with all the good your people did."

"I did't, I always told her the truth..."

"I wonder, do you ever wake up in the middle of the night to think how many people died because of your lousy war? Let me give you an estimate of my planet, a million. That includes children. My son died, my daughter-in-law, my granddaughter died, and many more after. Tell me, how do you live with that?"

"With all due respect, SHUT UP!" I ordered, never feeling like harming an old man but this one was asking for it.

"How do you maintain a relationship with a man like that?" he moved on to me.

"Because you don't know him like we do," Martha spoke up now, probably feeling the same anger as I felt, "We listened to the story and you don't even give a chance."

"Amazing, you've got two women arguing on your behalf, how does that feel?" Mayar asked, bitterly smiling at the Doctor.

"Look, I swear to you I wanted to save Kaeya, I was looking for a place that she and the rest of you could live in," the Doctor paused, taking a shaky deep breath, "But I was too far away by the time I heard of her death, of the planet's death. But I still came back because I cared for her-"

"No, that's a lie!"

"It's not!"

"You and your people aren't capable of care! Of love!"

"But I was!" the Doctor shouted, actually making all three of us flinch, Mayar with wide eyes, "I knew Kaeya down to the core and she knew me! We didn't know why our species hated each other and we didn't care! We became the best of friends without a care. I showed her what you couldn't, I showed her pieces of the world!"

"Kaeya couldn't leave the planet," Mayar tried to form a comeback, but he was still faulty, "We needed the col-"

"I came, I brought her gifts from the galaxies and she loved them. And you know what? I loved seeing her study those objects. I made her happy, that's the one thing that actually does ease my conscience. Because while you and your family tried to restrain her from her true potential, I liberated her. I made her laugh when you made her cry, I made her curious when you made her world bland, I comforted her when you scared her. And when she died..." the Doctor paused, shaking his head while his hand went to his cover his eyes, "...it was the end of my motivation to keep going. I stopped the War, I ended my own kind because Kaeya died. So do not come and tell me that I am not capable of caring for her because you have no idea just how wrong you are!"

I blinked and a tear strolled down my cheek, my heart beginning to break with the realization of just how much he "cared" for her. That wasn't care...that was love. He loved Kaeya.

"Perhaps...I could be wrong," was all Mayar could say, "...perhaps," he turned around and walked away.

"Maybe we should go..." Martha began to suggest but the Doctor had already left on his own.

"Coming here was the worst idea ever," I mumbled, biting my lip.

"Hey, it's okay," Martha turned to me, "You can't cry for a dead woman."

"I told you I didn't want this because of a heartbreak...and it happened anyways," I sniffled.

"You can't let this bring you down."

"Tell me how am I supposed to feel then?" I rubbed my eyes before more tears emerged, "He didn't have to say it but we all know...we know he loved her."

"I can see how that would come about but-"

"I can't do this right now," I shook my head, collecting myself to go after the Doctor, "You go talk to Mayar, yeah? Find out more about this place?"

"Why?" she frowned, confused with the idea.

"I still have to write something and besides, maybe there's something we can use to make the Doctor feel better."

"And what are you going to do in the mean time?"

"I'm going to make the Doctor feel better," I forced my best smile.

"But you aren't..."

"I don't care because I want him to be okay. He's helped me with Olivia and now it's my turn. I won't let him blame himself for something he didn't do. Not ever," I walked past her, rubbing away the last of my tears before I would find the Doctor.

~0~

"Doctor?" I called, spotting him sitting at the edge of a cliff, "Hey! Martian!" I tried running but the snow slowed me down. After much struggle, I finally reached him and plopped down beside him, "Are you okay?" he nodded, looking down at the iced lake below the cliff, "Somehow, I think that's a lie."

"Well, could be because you're clever..."

I smiled, "That I am, Martian. So, last time you helped me so now I help you. Though I'd help you regardless..." I waited for him to say something but he never did. He kept staring at the iced lake, so lost and silent. This wasn't him at all. "...You know it's not your fault, right? The fall of this planet...you didn't do it. Kaeya died for other reasons, one of those for a noble cause, but none of it was your fault."

"I wish I knew who killed her," he cut me off, his teeth gritting with anger and pain. There was a raw, ferocious, anger that genuinely scared me for a bit. I'd seen him plenty mad before but never like that. "I want to know who put their hands on her and killed her..."

"I don't think you do..." I tried to say but he cut me off with a sharp 'I do'. "And then what? What would you do?" I challenged him. "Because we both know you wouldn't kill them."

"Yeah? How can you be so sure?" he glanced at me with a dark tinge in his eyes, "You know all the people I killed..."

"Because of Kaeya, yes, I do now," I reminded, "But I bet if you had the chance to make that decision again...you wouldn't."

He scoffed, "Right."

"I'm serious. I think that you were blinded by rage and pain, your friend had died...and you wanted to put an end for her. Perhaps in another scenario, given the proper thought about it...you'd make an alternate decision."

"Yeah? And why would I do that?" he rolled his eyes.

"Because it's what Kaeya would've liked for you to do."

He glanced at me again, taken aback by the words I chose, "...she never liked violence..."

"See?"

"She was the sweetest thing out there..." his gaze returned to the iced lake, "...incapable of hurting anyone. Her voice...it was so delicate, so soft...beautiful."

"Aha," I looked down, fiddling with my fingers. I wouldn't stop him from talking about her. I spoke hours of Olivia, telling him how crazy beautiful she was, all her personality traits...I'd allow for him to do the same about Kaeya. It would liberate him from his guilt, and hopefully make him feel a little better.

"She was beautiful, Minerva. When I met her, she was just...a goddess. I think she'd be like the Selene of your mythology."

"Oh, you mean Selena? Of the moon?"

He nodded, "Mhm, she was wonderful..."

"Hm, I can tell. Your smile seems to be kinda..." I gestured to his face, "...stuck," he caught himself in the middle of another grin and quickly stopped, but I could still see a remnant of it at the corner of his mouth, "How did you even meet? You said Kaeya couldn't leave the planet because it was cold so you came...how'd you do it?"

He sighed, glancing back at the iced lake. I wondered what was so damn interesting of a lake, "It all started when I was just a kid and saw her for the first time. It was my first year in the Academy and we had a trip to see a constellation nearby the Silver Monsoon. Everyone else didn't care about the planet that looked like the Earth Christmas I liked so much. I was at the window and I was looking down...and then I saw her. She stood on that lake right there," he pointed ahead, "And she looked up to our ship. I never forgot that face...such a pretty little face. She had these big icy, blue eyes, and she seemed so curious. I could tell she was wondering who I was...what the ship was...what were all those little kids, like her, doing in that ship looking down at her planet."

"But you didn't speak to her, then?" I questioned, looking at the lake, picturing that little girl right there. That's why it was so important to him, it was where they first met...

"No, we were never allowed down on the planet. We were forbidden to visit the planet, much less to make contact with its inhabitants. But we returned every year, and I was always on that ship...and she was always on that lake, staring up. Years passed, and it seemed like we were aging at the same time. And you know, it looked like she knew exactly when we would return because she was always there, standing, sitting, on that lake. All on her own. By the time I was a teenager," he glanced at me, eyeing me up and down, "Probably about your age."

"I doubt you were seventeen," I teased, "Well, I'm almost eighteen in a couple months...so eighteen?"

"No, but I was young."

"Hm, really?"

"Yes, really."

"Doctor, triple digits?"

"...no."

"I think you were!"

"Are you gonna let me continue?" He raised an eyebrow.

I raised my hands, surrendering, "Fine, fine, go ahead."

"Well, like I was saying, we both looked like we could be around the same age. But by that time, I grew tired of just getting a five minute glimpse of her and so I devised a plan."

"What kind of plan?"

He smirked, "The one where I snuck out of the ship and went down to the planet."

"And did it work?"

"...no."

I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head at his failure, "Oh no, and what happened?"

He sighed, "That was the last time I saw her...I was kicked out of the program for sneaking out."

I immediately stopped laughing, knowing that must have been pretty hard for him, "And...and then what happened?"

"They made more trips of course but I never got to see that glimpse of her until..." he began smiling, letting me know that the story hadn't ended so badly, "...I borrowed a TARDIS one day-"

"Borrowed?" I raised an eyebrow, "N-n-no, you told me you borrowed it and ran off with your granddaughter...never returning that box to this day. That's not borrowing."

"This was before I actually stole it," he corrected, shaking his head, "I was...what?" again, he eyed me, determining his next age comparison on me, "An adult? Maybe Olivia's age? Twenty?" I nodded, gesturing for him to continue, "I borrowed a TARDIS one day and took it to this planet, just a little after the students had finished their annual trip. And Minerva?"

"Yeah?"

"...she was right there," he pointed at the lake, his grin so wide it looked like his face would crack, "At first, I didn't see her...but then I turned around and there she was; standing beautifully across me."

I couldn't help the disappointment I felt within me. He seemed so lost in the thought of seeing her again, it made me wonder if he'd ever think of me like that. But I shook those thoughts away and focused on the most important thing here, he was smiling.

"She was so beautiful. She'd changed since the last time I saw her. She was taller, her hair was shorter, and she was dressed like a true princess. Silver and white. I'll never forget that. She was so beautiful," he re-emphasized it and I mouthed the word off to the side where he couldn't see how jealous I was turning.

"Did you talk or did you just stare?" I asked in a mutter, realizing a moment later that was probably rude. Minerva, you are not gonna let your jealousy get in the way of an important moment for the Doctor. He didn't deserve that. Neither did Kaeya.

"We talked," he nodded, oblivious to my feelings, "For the first time, we actually talked. I got to know her. Her name was Kaeya, princess of the Silver Monsoon."

"That's a weird name, you know."

"You're clever, you should know its meaning."

"It has a meaning?" I blinked, genuinely surprised at it.

"Every name's got a meaning. Look at yours, Minerva: the goddess of wisdom."

"Yeah, and what does Kaeya mean?"

"The monsoon flower," he smiled, "And she was a beautiful flower."

I rolled my eyes, "Got it. She was excessively beautiful. What did you talk about? I can't keep writing she was beautiful, you know."

He chuckled, "Yeah, sorry. She told me how shocked she was to see that great big ship over her planet for the first time. Said she'd been playing on the iced lake over there. And after we left, she asked her parents who we were and why we couldn't come down. But they didn't tell her anything. All they said was that she should hate us and stay away from us because we were bad people."

"Why would they think that?"

"I don't know. To this day, I don't know why the Silver Monsoon and Gallifrey detested each other."

"But that didn't stop Kaeya, did it?"

"She calculated the exact day and time we'd pass over her planet each year...and even after I was kicked out, she kept waiting...to see me. Of course, that never happened anymore until I borrowed the TARDIS."

"Bet she was really happen then..." I said, knowing the exact feeling she must have had. I had that same feeling when I decided to leave the box of wonders and him to finish my education. Just the thought of knowing I would actually be staying made my heart beat twice as fast.

"She seemed like it," he nodded, "And we then we started talking. I learned a lot about her, and you know what?"

"What?"

"She didn't live a very happy life."

"Well, apart from being forbidden to leave the planet I couldn't see why she wouldn't be happy."

He smiled, "But that never stopped her hope. While she couldn't leave, she set herself to know about the world. And so each time I came to visit her, I brought her a little gift from a planet, sometimes my own. She loved them all and she tried to study them down to its last detail. I loved seeing the look she gave each time I brought her something. It was...wonderful. Her favorite gifts were the ones from Earth I was able to get from Gallifrey. And then, when I finally left home, I traveled to all these places, always bringing her things from them. But her favorite was always Earth. She thought you were all fascinating."

"Hm, I can't help but feel like an experiment subject."

"You're not. She just liked you all. She tried learning everything she could of the humans. She knew your eating habits, your favorite leisure activities, your customs, beliefs. Heck, do you know she learned about the mythology you all invented? She loved the Roman mythology most of all; she said her favorite goddess was Venus cos she was immensely beautiful. And well, Kaeya didn't consider herself as such."

"Well," I grinned, "I would vouch for the goddess Minerva. She's a pretty cool lady."

"Good thing you're not biased," he remarked, nudging me and getting a laugh out.

"Just give me wisdom over beauty any day!"

"Oh, but you have both already."

I froze, glancing at him with semi-shocked eyes, "You think so?"

He shifted in his seat, giving me a quick glance with a faint smile, "Y-yeah. I told you that, remember?"

"Right..." I rubbed my arm, looking down as a blush went through my cheeks.

"Kaeya loved it all, though," he continued after a moment his gaze wondering to the lake again, "She was truly exceptional."

"Doctor, I know I asked you this before but now I ask you to answer with honesty. Did you love her?"

Silence.

"Doctor?"

Silence.

I took a long, deep breath, "Alright, I won't insist," even if it continued to gnaw at my head.

"I told her that one day I'd figure out how to bring her to other planets," he continued like the dire question hadn't been asked, and with no other option I listened, "I swore to her I'd whisk her away and show her the universe," and by the slow change of happy to glum on his face, I knew that's where the story ended, "And then the war started..."

"And she died."

"I'm sorry," I said with all honesty, "I understand what it's like to lose someone you care so much about."

"Then tell me, how can you ask me not to blame myself for Kaeya's death if you continuously blame yourself for Olivia's?"

I looked away, biting my tongue to keep myself from answering in a way I couldn't. That I cared for him deeply and just couldn't bear for him to blame himself. That I couldn't stand seeing him not smile and ramble on about the stars. I couldn't.

"I said it before, Minerva, your eyes and mine share a great pain. The only difference is that mine are old and horrible, while yours are young and filled with potential."

"Don't say that," I sighed, "We share the pain, that's that. But here's what I think about yours, Kaeya doesn't blame you. She wouldn't want you to burden yourself like this."

"You think so?"

"I know so," I assured, patting his hand, "And look at it this way, she's probably looking over Earth right now, making that visit she wanted for so long."

"I sure hope she is. She deserves at least that."

"C'mon," I let go of him and jumped to my feet, nearly slipping over the cliff, "Yikes, better be careful there."

"Where are we going?"

"You seem to just love that lake," I gestured to it with my head, "So let's go take a look. It'll be a walk down memory lane."

"Uh, no thanks," he shook his head.

"Oh c'mon!" I reached down and tried pulling him up, "Just a walk!"

"No, Minerva."

"Why not? Is it because that's yours and Kaeya's lake? Am I not allowed on it?"

"What? No! I'd love to take you to the lake!"

"Then!?"

He sighed, "I guess I just don't feel like I could step on it."

I let go and smiled sadly at him, "We can take baby steps then."

"Baby steps?" he looked up, looking offended at the term.

I placed a hand on my hip, tilting my head, "What? Big Time Lord can't take a baby step?"

"I can take an adult step!"

"Yeah, you're not classified as an adult in my book."

"What!?" he jumped to his feet, making me beam I finally got him up, "I'm far older than you are-"

"Yes, thank you for reminding me of that, gramps," I patted his cheek, earning a glare from the Martian, "So how about you take me down there?"

"Minerva, you need to take back that 'gramps' thing," he warned as I turned for the cliff, peering down to search for the perfect way to get down.

"Why? I'm seventeen and you're what? 903 years old?" I took a step forwards, nearly slipping again but caught by the martian, "Woah, sorry gramps."

"I'd rather you call me Martian!"

I beamed, gasping, "Really?"

"Yes. Because I'm not old!"

I grabbed his sleeve as I stepped forwards again, "Well, Martian, I can see a way down now. We'll just need to go-" my foot slipped and I went forwards, the Martian reaching to grab me but instead fell along with me.

We toppled down the cliff, the snow - although cold and wet - cushioning our tumble. I fell against the iced-lake, finding just how hard it actually was, enough to bruise my back I'll tell you that. Of course, it wasn't as bad before the Martian literally fell on me with a hard thud, making me yelp of pain.

"Minerva are you alright!?" he asked quickly, although his moves were much slower as he had also been hurt. He lifted his head and looked down at me, and suddenly my pain seemed like a petty thing with him so close to me.

Unlike the last time we found ourselves in this situation, before we landed on McDonnell's ship, I felt nervous. But this time...this time, I found myself smiling at the Martian right above me, "Hello..."

He smiled back, "...hello."

The ground beneath us, and everywhere around us, began shaking like an earthquake. It sounded like the cliff behind us was toppling down more snow, like an avalanche!

"Minerva, watch out!" the Doctor huddled me closer, reaching over and covering me.

A few minutes later, it finally stopped. He looked around, finally getting off me. I sat up and found the cliff had opened up a passageway across us. "That...that wasn't there a moment ago," I pointed, looking at it with wide eyes.

"No, no it wasn't, " he scrambled to his feet, running for it and stopping right at its entrance, "Looks like it hasn't been opened in centuries."

I slowly got up, nervous I'd slip on the ice. Actually, it wasn't even slippery! It felt like actual ground.

"I wonder where it leads to..." the Doctor continued, poking his head inside the passageway.

I trembled, now feeling the coldness of the planet as Martha had whined about earlier. Of course, she wasn't covered in snow and wet. I suddenly crinkled my nose at a fowl smell around us, on me, "Doctor, what is that smell?"

"That would be the snow mud currently covering us," he replied absently, still inspecting that passageway.

I nearly gagged as I smelled my arm, "Oh god, I need a shower."

"Yeah it'll take months for it to fully come off."

"Excuse me?" I asked, wide eyed, "Months?"

"What do you say, Minerva? Shall we take a look?" he turned around, ignoring my current state of denial.

I sighed, letting it go for the moment and made my way over, peering inside the darkness before us, "S-sure. You got a light or something?" And like hearing me, torches hung up on the wall lit up, allowing us to see the pathway clearly.

"I think we're good, don't you think?" the Doctor grinned, stepping inside.

"You think I could use one of those torches to dry myself? And possibly use it as a heater?" I asked, slowly following.

"Well, I don't think-" he stopped at the sound of his foot kicking something.

We looked down to see an old, dusty book on the ground. He picked it up, turning it over and seeing the title worn off by the time it had been here. He opened it up, skimming a few pages of it.

"Stop!" I exclaimed, putting a hand over the page he was currently on, "Look," I pointed, "Those are the Roman goddesses and Gods. Kaeya was fascinated by them, right?"

He nodded, "Very."

"So then...this was her book?"

"Possibly..."

"Well, did anyone else on this planet have a liking for Earth?"

"I don't know. Maybe...maybe not?"

I sighed, a shiver combined with it, "Well, I'm willing to bet it was hers. Maybe this whole cave thing is hers too," I gestured to it and walked a few steps ahead, "Maybe this was her sanctuary."

"Should we even be here then?"

"It opened for us, didn't it? She wants us here."

"But why?"

"Maybe she'd like her old friend to visit her. After so many years. Maybe it's me that shouldn't be here..." I started taking a step back at the sudden realization.

But I felt hands on my shoulders that stopped me, "I'd like her to meet my clever friend. She's pretty good."

I smiled, glancing back, "You think so?"

He shook off his coat and placed it around me, "I know so. You're very good."

I felt an instant heat from the coat, but most of all, I felt my face warming up at our closeness, "You're not so bad yourself," I tugged the coat closer, "And thanks."

"Now c'mon!" he pulled me ahead, running who knows where!

~0~

"I didn't know she had a whole bookcase of Earth books," I remarked as I went through what seemed the eighth bookshelf in this room.

The Doctor had found what appeared to be a library. It was old, it was cold, and it smelled like soggy, dirty socks. But there were bookshelves spread all around, chuck full of books...all about Earth.

"How did she even get these?" I looked over to the Doctor and saw him swaying his head, "I should've known. You brought them."

"I didn't think she'd actually keep all of them," was his defense statement, "But then again, she did say she had a whole library dedicated to Earth."

I plucked out a book that read Cinderella on the cover, "Maybe to meet the princesses? Cinderella, really?"

"She liked the gown because it was almost like hers."

"Cinderella sucks. I'm more of a Rapunzel fan."

He scoffed, "Figures," he looked over my hair.

I playfully rolled my eyes, "Ha, ha, so I'm a little bias."

"You know, Kaeya thought the Earth fairy tales were a bit boring. Ridiculous, actually. Complete fantasy..."

"Ridiculous?" I frowned, looking back at the row of classical fairy tales on the shelf, "But they're the most famous ones!"

"And a bit unlikely," he walked over, taking the book from me, "I mean, seriously, a wooden puppet whose nose grows big when they lie?"

"A 903 year old alien with a box that's bigger on the inside?" I countered, smirking, "I'll have you know these fairy tales are fantastic. Especially for the kids. I mean, c'mon, servant girl gets a fairy godmother, servant girl sneaks to the ball, servant girl meets Prince and loses her shoe at midnight...then the Prince finds her and they live happily ever after. Who thinks that's bland!?" he made a face and shrugged, placing the book back in its spot, "Okay fine, let me tell you a new one then: Human girl travels all her life, human girl meets Martian and he takes her to see galaxies. Isn't that such a cute fairy tale-oh wait - I'M LIVING IT!"

He smiled, "Point taken."

"Thank you," I nodded, turning away for another bookshelf, "I'm sure Kaeya can see that now."

"So...I'm a fairy tale?" he raised an eyebrow, the hint of a smirk growing at the corner of his mouth.

"Hold your horses there," I held a finger to him, "I said the whole thing in general is the fairy tale. Stop the ego from growing. You're not a fairy tale."

Yes he was...

"Really?" he pretended to pout.

"You're not!"

He was...

"But are you really sure?"

"Yes," I went along, stopping between a gap of two bookshelves. I passed a hand down the cold wall, feeling it somewhat...hollow?

"That's too bad..." he came over, "...because I think you're a fairy tale."

I glanced at him, stunned he had actually said that. That was the second complement I received in less than an hour, "Really?"

He blinked, "Um...yeah, because you're...you're very clever, and...and, and human."

"Oh...so I'm a fairy tale because you've never met a human so clever? What, we're highly unlikely? I'm ridiculous? We're all supposed to be stupid?" I leaned against the wall, watching him curiously work out that one. As much as I wanted to believe that was a compliment...it did sound like an insult in the end.

"No! That's not at all what I meant!"

"So what did you mean by that?"

"I just..." he swayed his head, sighing, "...see, you're clever and you're just..."

"Human," I nodded, "Yeah, I got it. Human and surprisingly smart," I rolled my eyes, "You know what, maybe this is where we part. I'll go find Martha and you can visit your dead girlfriend..." I started removing his coat, getting off the wall.

"No, no, please don't," he moved to stop me, trying to push my hands down as they fiercely worked to take off the damn coat, "Minerva, stop, you're overreacting." But I continued, and I guess frustrated him because he just stopped and pushed us back to the wall, "Are you gonna stop and let me explain?" he demanded seriously, enough seriousness to leave me still and just nod, "Thank you," he sighed, "Listen, you're sweet, you're insanely clever, and you don't take advantage of it. Most humans would. You said it yourself, with power comes chaos...especially with humans. You're not like that though," he smiled softly, "You'd never be. That's why you're a fairy tale, because another girl like you would be unlikely. You're one of a kind. So, why don't you keep that coat," he tugged it closer, enveloping me in its warmness, "And you accompany me to see an old friend. Yeah?"

I started smiling, blushing and nodding, "Okay..."

We both smiled, looking at each other for a moment until we felt another shaking. This time, it came from behind me and the Doctor quickly pulled me off to see the wall sliding open.

"Was Kaeya fond of puzzles?" I blinked, seeing the newest dark passageway ahead of us.

"It's a possibility..."

"There's no lights this time," I peered inside, "How are we supposed to get through?"

"Let's see," he walked ahead.

"Uh, Doctor, maybe you should be careful," I called, staying by the doorway.

"It's fine!"

"But it's dark!"

"Yeah but it's not like I'm going to-"

And he slammed into a wall...

I winced at the thud, hearing the groans a few seconds later, "Let me guess, there's a wall in front of you?"

"...that's..." he groaned again, "...a possibility."

I rolled my eyes and took slow, careful steps ahead, using the wall as a guide, "Where are you?"

"Over here," he called louder.

"If I crash into the wall you're as good as dead. And the possibility of regenerating is very slim."

He chuckled, "I'm holding out my hands, just reach out."

I nodded, though I realized he couldn't see it so I stopped. I held out one hand while the other remained on the wall, "I can't feel you!"

"Then get off the wall!"

"I'm not on the wall!"

"Yes, you are. Now let go."

I sighed and did as told, stepping forwards. I had to admit I felt a big relief when I touched a hand, "Oh thank god."

"See, nothing to worry about," he said, "Just don't move forwards."

"Let me guess, is there a big scratch on your head, Doctor?"

"...no."

I laughed, "Liar."

"Oh shut it, it really hurts."

"We'll deal with it later you big baby. Now tell me how we're going to go down the passageway."

He sighed and turned us for the wall, "Well..."

But the wall started moving away from us, leaving us to follow as it moved. The Doctor let go of my hand and went slightly ahead, the darkness fading as icy blue squares on the ground lit up. But just like that, the rock stopped moving.

"Doctor!" I called, feeling myself slip on one of the ice squares.

He quickly returned, catching me before I fell. And suddenly, the rock slid again. We looked at each other then the rock that kept moving. We let go of each other and the rock stopped moving.

"That's just weird," I pointed, "What? Did you and your girlfriend make it like this?"

"Minerva stop, I've never been in here," he said, taking my hand once more, watching how the rock moved again.

I pulled my hand away, making it stop, "Then what's going on?"

"It looks like some sort of security mechanism."

"What? The kind where you need to hold hands?"

"Maybe it was for her parents..."

"So what do we do?"

He glanced at me, then my hand, "Well, if we want to get ahead, you'll need to hold my hand."

I pretended to study him and his hand, "...I'll manage."

He smiled and reached for my hand, once again the rock moving. This time, we walked after it, neither of us saying a word. What could I say, really? At the end, the rock stopped sliding forwards and moved to the side, allowing us to see a room behind. We entered an ice room that was in a cylindrical shape, a small one at that.

"What is this place?" I asked, intrigued by the design, but not more than what was held in the center, "And what is that?"

There was a circular table, an ice table, in the center with a necklace propped up; a glass dome covered it.

"Welcome," a voice rang around the room, startling us.

"Kaeya?" the Doctor frowned, looking around frantically, bringing me as well until I pulled my hand away, "Where are you!? Are you here!?" I grew sad as I watched him desperately trying to find the girl, knowing he must miss her a lot.

"This is an interface," a hologram of a young woman appeared beside the table, "Here to help."

"Kaeya..." the Doctor whispered, stepping forwards, taking in the hologram's appearance which I assumed was the blessed princess.

She was beautiful, no doubt. I assumed the silver gown the Doctor had mentioned was the one she wore at the moment. It was an A-line dress that went down to her feet. It had a squared-neckline with angel sleeves, a ruched bodice, an over skirt covering the forepart of the underskirt, a small train of it behind. Her short, ashy brunette fell above her shoulders in soft curls, her icy blue eyes looking as lively as ever...even for a hologram. She was beautiful, and she didn't look a day over twenty-five.

I swallowed hard, finding myself to be an intruder in this room.

"She's just a hologram...she's not real," the Doctor said quietly, shaking his head. He turned around and it shocked me to see him actually walking for the exit. That was my job!

"Doctor!" I called, making him freeze, "And just where do you think you're going?"

"She's not real."

"Real or not, she wants you here."

He glanced back, looking between the hologram and I, "How do you know?"

"I don't," I shrugged, "But I say she does. Look at this place. It seems like no one's entered in centuries. Not even Mayar! And he was her grandfather. Why would it suddenly open for us? Why would it open for you?"

He turned completely, facing me but with a solemn look, "You think she wants me here?"

"Let's ask," I moved for the hologram, "Interface, what is the purpose of the room?"

"It holds the Silver Monsoon's most prized possession," she gestured to the necklace on the table, the dome moving up from it, "Responsibility of the princess of the Silver Monsoon, princess Kaeya. She swore to protect it at all costs."

"What does the necklace do?" I asked, looking back at the Doctor, offering my hand for comfort.

"It belongs to princess Kaeya."

"Not what I asked but okay," I smiled as the Martian came forwards and took my hand, "What's the purpose of the necklace?"

"It belongs to princess Kaeya."

"I know that...what is the necklace's purpose?"

"It belongs to princess Kaeya."

"Why does it keep saying that?" I glanced at the Doctor, confused.

He looked at the hologram and the necklace repeatedly, a minute later focusing solely on the necklace, "There's something familiar about it..."

I looked at the necklace, really focusing this time. It was baby blue and white...

It had a chain with three shapes hanging at the bottom, "Doctor, how many suns does the planet have?" I asked.

"None," he answered quietly. I glanced at him, surprised, "They only ever had the moon..."

"But there's two suns," I pointed at the necklace, "And the moon."

"I don't get it."

I frowned, staring harder at the necklace. There had to be an explanation for it, "Interface, what are the symbols' purpose?"

"It belongs to princess Kaeya."

"Yes, I get it-"

"It belongs to princess Kaeya."

I sighed, hoping to push my frustration down for the sake of the Martian beside me, "But-"

"It belongs to princess Kaeya."

"Oh my god, yes! But please stop saying that I get it. It belonged to..." I trailed off, finally getting it, "Oh...she made the necklace."

"She what?" the Doctor asked, looking at me weirdly.

I looked at him, "She made the necklace."

"How do you know?"

"Take a good look, Martian, and tell me what you see."

He did that...and nothing.

"Doctor?"

He shrugged.

"You are so oblivious! You're a stupid genius," I shook my head before leaning towards the necklace, "There's two suns, Doctor. And you said this planet has none," I glanced at him, seeing he was finally processing it as he leaned forwards, "So why put two?"

He let go of my hand and went for the necklace, tracing fingers on the suns, "Oh Kaeya...she did say she'd love to see them rising."

"And I'm guessing the moon is for her. It's you two together, how she wanted it."

"But...but why?"

I sighed, practically forcing myself to speak my next words, "She fell in love with you, Doctor."

He blinked with wide eyes, looking between the necklace and I, apparently hearing these words for the first time, "But I..."

"Take the necklace," I said quietly, rubbing my arm, though the fact I still wore his coat only made me feel worse. I shouldn't be here.

"I-I can't! Why'd you even think that?" he shook his head, stepping back.

"Why else would we be here?" I snapped, feeling guilty the second after; it wasn't his fault that he also made a human fall for him, he made Rose so why would I be an exception? How did Martha avoid it? "If this thing allowed us inside, it was for a reason. Plus, this thing," I pointed to the necklace, "Was made for you two. She's not here anymore but you are. The right thing would be for you to take it and put it somewhere you deem right."

He sighed, glancing at the holographic had remained quiet, and I swore it was almost watching us like it understood us, "I suppose...for Kaeya..."

"Yes," I moved for the necklace, reaching to take it when... "Ah!" I jerked my hand back, feeling my fingertips burn like before.

"Are you okay?" the Doctor quickly took my hand to inspect it.

"Yes, I..." I glanced at the necklace, finding a similarity between its material and the crystal at Lazarus' event, "...hey, is it the same crystal that Lazarus had?"

"Hm?" he looked at the necklace, taking it from its place and carefully touching it with a finger tip, "I think it is."

"Why doesn't it burn you?" I looked at his hands that could freely touch the necklace with jealousy.

"Maybe it's not supposed to be touched by humans..."

"Then how did Lazarus use it?"

"Gloves?"

"I'm telling you right now, I don't think Kaeya likes me," I looked at the hologram with narrow eyes, "She thinks I'm an intruder here."

"She doesn't. I know she would've loved to have met you."

"Lies," I scoffed, "I bet her spirit is right here and scowling at me."

"Spirit?" he scoffed now, "Ha!"

"You don't believe in the afterlife?"

"No...well...no."

"Well I do, and I believe Kaeya brought you here and I believe she doesn't like me," and I completely meant that.

The Doctor still seemed unconvinced, then...

"Hide it," the hologram spoke up, both the Doctor and I turning to it with shock. The hologram turned its head to the Doctor, "I will guide you until it is time."

"Excuse me?" the poor Martian blinked, stunned as I was the hologram was actually speaking like it understood us.

"I vowed to return one day and it is not me who has entered the sanctuary."

"But you died, Kaeya," he gritted his teeth, both angry and sad at the fact, "You can't return."

"I will return," she smiled, "But in the meantime, I will guide you on this journey."

"Guide..." I whispered, familiar words returning to me as I pondered, "...Guide. Moon guide...Moon spirit! Ha!" I exclaimed, startling the Doctor with my sudden excitement, "Remember the Face of Boe's words back on New Earth?" he stared but with no idea what I was saying. I sighed, coming beside him, "He said the moon spirit would guide you. She's it!" I pointed at the hologram, "I told you she'd be looking out for you wherever she was!"

"So...what?" he blinked.

I sighed again, smacking him upside the head, earning a big 'ow' from him, "You're meant to be here and take the necklace. She guided you here."

"But she's dead..." he whispered, his gaze falling to the ground.

I smiled sadly, "So? Just because she died doesn't mean she's gone. It's like my grandfather. I understand that he's dead. But I refuse to believe that he's really gone. I know that he's still looking out for my grandmother and I, and heck, even my mother. He's still taking care of us and Kaeya is doing the same for you."

He slowly nodded, looking up with watery eyes, "She's not gone?"

"She's right there," I pointed at the necklace, "And there," I pointed to his hearts.

He hugged me unexpectedly, but of course I didn't mind. I hugged right back, a hidden smile on my face. I glanced at the hologram, feeling slightly guilty that I enjoyed this hug in one of her favorite places.

But then she winked...

I looked at her oddly, shaking it off as the Doctor pulled back, "So, you'll take it?"

He nodded, "I'll honor her with it."

"Good," I looked around, finding nothing else to look at, "Should we get going then?"

He sighed and looked at the hologram, "Yeah, she's been disturbed enough."

"Thank you Kaeya..." I said quietly, feeling awkward.

She was dead and here I was trying to get her boyfriend. I wasn't exactly the best person right now...

But the hologram flashed a smile and held out her hand to her right, the ice wall sliding to the side, "Thank you."

"Doctor, how can she understand us if there's no more programming?"

"Kaeya's final orders, I suppose."

"Yeah but she acts weird..."

"She's just doing what she's programmed to do."

"But she winked at me!"

He laughed, pushing me for the new passageway, "Yeah, right."

"But she did!" I glanced back at the hologram, seeing her smile and wink again, "Look!" I turned him around but the damn thing reverted back to its blank state, "Do it again!"

She glanced at us, as if studying us, before uttering three words that would break a piece of my heart, "I loved you. I will find you one day."

I looked at her for a moment, never hating myself so much for being right, "Told you," I turned around and began walking for the passageway.

~0~

"There you are!" Martha greeted us with big hugs when we met her and Mayar in a cave. But then she caught the whiff of the snow mud and immediately backed away, pinching her nose,"What is that?"

"Snow mud," the Doctor replied, nodding, "Leaves a good scent for a couple of months."

"You mean you're both going to be smelling like that for MONTHS?"

"My reaction exactly," I nodded.

"We're used to it," the Doctor shrugged, "You'll be too."

"Okay..." she said, unconvinced as she returned to Mayar, "There's no perfume or anything?"

"No ma'am," he replied, quite amused. It seemed like he was in a much better mood now and of course it had to be because of Martha. She was wonderful like that!

"Yeah, we'll see about that," she shook her head.

"Where did you two go?" he asked us.

The Doctor and I glanced at each other, both having agreed before finding the two to keep Kaeya's sanctuary a secret. She had let us in for a reason and that means she didn't want anyone else to know about it.

"We went to the lake," I answered, "Lovely by the way."

"Ah," Mayar nodded, his hard look returning as he looked at the Doctor.

"You know your princess would disagree with how you're treating him," I said to Mayar, earning an equal harden look back. I felt bad for ruining Martha's work but I would not allow him to make the Doctor feel bad again.

"Minerva," the Doctor placed a hand on my shoulder, "It's alright-"

"No!" I shook his hand off, "It's not. Your princess, your granddaughter, Mayar, would be very disappointed in you."

"You don't know anything about her!" he snapped, stepping up.

"You wanna bet?" I laughed bitterly, stepping up as well.

"Minerva," the Doctor called from behind, reminding me of our agreement.

"I know she had a fascination for my planet, and do you know what was her favorite thing? The peace and harmony we had. And do you know why we had that? Because we were always together. But look at you, you're old, and bitter. You make yourself out to be the lonely victim and you blame the last person of the species that killed your family. But guess what? The fact is you're not alone, your people are still out there, living a good life. Why don't you go after them?"

"Because I don't have a family..." he answered me, barely above a whisper.

"Family isn't just those related by blood. It's having good friends who care about you just like a family would. So instead of blaming people for what happened to your planet, why don't you go and find your own people who thankfully survived because of Kaeya? The Doctor was not responsible for it and I'll be damned if I ever hear that again."

He took in my words, seeming to actually think about it. And I sure hoped he would.

Martha, seeing the tension rising to a brink, moved beside again, clearly breathing through her mouth, "Why don't we go look around instead? There was some drawings in the entrance of the cave that I'm sure you'd love to see, Minerva."

I glanced at the Doctor, seeing he was in no more spirit to be on this planet, "Why don't we go home instead? I think I got enough."

"You sure?"

I nodded, whispering, "Believe me. I got more than I bargained for."

She blinked, not getting. I mouthed 'talk later' then gestured for her to start walking.

~0~

Back in the TARDIS, I was able to write a story with what Martha was able to get from Mayar and from what I got from the Doctor, lots of Kaeya. Afterwards, Martha and I sat in the console, me telling her everything that had happened to the Doctor and I while on the Monsoon. I did burst into sobs a few times here and there but she was really good at comforting.

"So, Kaeya actually loved him?" Martha blinked, taking in the most important aspect of the story, the necklace not so much of her concern for some reason.

"She said she'd find him one day..." I whispered.

"But she's...dead!" Martha got quiet for a second as she thought then nodded, "Yeah, dead!"

"Well if you think about it, her body was never found..."

'Don't deduct, she's dead."

"I can't help it. If she's alive and she finds the Doctor...Martha," I teared up again, "They loved each other. It's going to be the repetition of Rose and this time, I won't be able to handle it."

It was true. When Rose was around, my feelings weren't the same and so as bothered as I was with her and the Doctor, I wasn't heartbroken. But if it were to happen now, where my feelings stand, I don't know what I'd do. Of course, I wouldn't stand between them, I couldn't. I'd let them be happy, because if the Doctor was happy then I would be to...for him.

"Minerva, I don't know what to say anymore," Martha sighed, looking completely lost for words now. That was a first, "But...are you okay?"

"Honestly Martha, I don't know," I shrugged, really not knowing how I felt about this, "I mean, on the one hand, I feel completely jealous and angry towards Kaeya but on the other hand, I understand her and I'm so sorry that she died."

"That seems normal. I probably would feel the same."

"Does it make me a bad person if I'm angry with a dead girl? Just because she happened to love the same man that I fell for?

She smiled softly, shaking her head, "No because that same person that's angry just finished up a story on the other girl. Plus, it's not like you'd kill her for it. It's natural to be jealous."

"Still, I can't help feel guilty for it."

"Don't be," she gestured to my notebook, "No more guilt. Because you're incredibly sweet and on another occasion, you two would have been good friends."

"I swear, if she ever did come back and the Doctor loved her and wanted to be with her, I wouldn't dare step between them. Ever. Because if she was the one that made the Doctor happy then I'd be happy too."

"See, it's that trait that makes you different from Rose," Martha pointed, leaving me perplexed onto how we moved onto Rose now.

"What? ...what?"

"You know my disdain for her, but apart from all that, I truly believed she was selfish. She treated you badly because she thought, she assumed, you liked the Doctor."

"She was just jealous..."

"But did she ever stop to wonder that maybe the reason why the Doctor was more...close..." she tried finding the right word but by the face she was making it was clear that she hadn't found it.

"We weren't close," I corrected quietly, remembering just how distant the Martian and I actually were in those days, "He didn't even know my name."

"'Close' wasn't the word I wanted but he interacted better with you," she paused for a moment, probably trying to think of better words but once again came up with nothing, "And I don't think Rose ever stopped to think that maybe he actually liked you back then."

"He did not," I informed flatly, knowing it was a fact.

"Yes, but maybe it was developing at that time," Martha clarified, "Maybe he didn't even know it. And hey, maybe you didn't even notice. But the biggest difference between you and Rose is that you would never be rude to Kaeya nor treat her the way Rose treated you because you shared the same affection for the Doctor. You would step back and allow the Doctor to be happy with whomever he chooses."

"I would, I really would step back," I whispered, looking down as I felt tears prick in my eyes, forcing themselves free.

"And that's what Rose didn't do," Martha said softly, offering a smile of comfort, "She was rude to you and she made it seem like it was your fault. She never stopped to wonder what the Doctor wanted. It was just what Rose wanted. That's pretty selfish of her."

"Thanks Martha," I hugged her, "You have no idea how much of good friend you are. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd be completely lost with your feelings for the alien," she chuckled.

"Very," I agreed as I pulled back, "Martha, I'm so sorry for what I said after we left McDonnell's ship. I didn't mean to be rude to you and-"

She raised a hand, stopping my apology midway, "I get it, don't worry."

"But I'm really sorry," I insisted, "You have been nothing but kind to me and not to mention patient with this new dilemma in my life concerning my blood. I'm very sorry."

"Minerva, it's okay," she assured, "If I was mad, I wouldn't have gotten the Doctor to come and talk. I know what you were saying was out of the moment. It's fine."

"Oh Martha," I hugged her again, "You're such a good friend to me!"

"Hey, I'm just glad you're feeling better. After everything from the ship, you've been a little, um..." she made a face, possibly trying to be cautious of her words.

"Emotional, crazy, mess, wreck, yeah," I sighed, "I do feel a lot better, though. It was just the hype of the moment...but I'm better...progress..."

"It's not all better, though, huh?"

I shook my head, "It's too much, Martha. One day, I'm going to break."

"No you won't, because your friends are here for you."

"Thank you," I smiled.

""Minerva?" we heard the Doctor call, making us look over and see him by the corridor's threshold, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

By the look he wore it seemed he had found something interesting in the necklace. I glanced at Martha, smiling apologetically for leaving her.

"You know what," she stood up, "We were done anyways. Take my place," she gestured to the empty spot beside me before walking off.

The Doctor waited for her to be a good distance in the corridors before approaching me and taking out the necklace, "So I studied..." he took the seat Martha had left, "...and turns out it does need to be kept hidden."

"Why?"

"Remember that crystal with Lazarus?"

"Yeah..."

"It's made out of the same material. I think this necklace came from that crystal."

"And...what would that mean, exactly?"

"I don't know, the crystal changed Lazarus, remember? It unlocks, it heals, it makes certain genes dominant."

"Why would Kaeya make it into a necklace, then?" I frowned, so lost there were no coherent thoughts in my head.

"There's something more," he stared at the necklace, "Its registering large amounts of energy, like there's something living inside it."

"That's not possible," I shook my head.

"I don't mean actual life," he shrugged, his gaze still locked on it, "Maybe the energy is large enough to create life."

"You know, maybe it's registering spirit energy," I wiggled my fingers, getting a smile out of him, "You know? Like that paranormal stuff when they're hunting for ghosts. Like in the movies where the spirits look after things that should never fall in the wrong hands."

He raised an eyebrow, "...now you've gone too far. You've been watching too many movies."

"Just Scary Movie Two," I shrugged.

"No more," he pointed.

"Let's focus on the necklace, shall we?" I took it by the chains, avoiding the symbols which seemed to want to hurt me for some reason, "I suppose she made the necklace thinking in you," I looked at the two suns, understanding Kaeya's curiosity for them, "She really loved you..."

"Don't say that," he whispered, staring at the necklace sadly.

"It hurts, doesn't it? To lose someone you love." It didn't matter if it was love for your family or romantic love, love was love, and any time you lose someone it hurt millions. And I understood that perfectly with Liv and my grandfather.

"Please don't..."

"Why don't you accept that you love her?" I found myself asking the same question Martha had annoyed me with, now fully understanding the need to just know why one would refuse to accept feelings that were so clear.

"Because, I...no," he shook his head, looking as if it actually pained him to even think of the possibility.

"Doctor, it's alright to admit it. Sure, it could hurt because she's not with us anymore, but..." I stopped when he shook his head even harder, "...Doctor?"

"I'm so confused," he mumbled, shutting his eyes and leaning back on his seat.

I frowned at the way he looked, so pained and really...disdained. I just wanted to comfort him, maybe like Martha did to me, but I wanted to do more than that. I wanted to hug him, and all these things a friend couldn't say like how much I cared for him, how precious he was, and most of all, I couldn't kiss him til he was better.

"Minerva," he opened his eyes, opening his mouth to say something.

"Yes?"

But he closed his mouth and shook his head, "No, nothing."

"Doctor, you know you can talk to me about Kaeya whenever you want," even if it broke me inside, "Whenever you need a little reminder that it wasn't your fault, I'm here."

I managed to get a dim smile from him, "Thank you," he sat up, "And actually, I've yet to thank you for sticking up for me today. You looked so sure of what you were saying..."

"Because I am sure. I know it wasn't your fault. Mayar should be ashamed of how he treated you. Kaeya wouldn't have approved."

"Thank you," he said sincerely, "I'm just sorry I didn't get to show you the planet so you could write."

"Oh! That wasn't a problem, actually, cos looook," I picked up my journal beside me and waved it for him to see, "Guess what I just finished?"

"You wrote something?" he took it from me and opened it up.

"Star-Crossed, I call it," I watched him open the first page, "A tale of two people who became the best of friends despite of the differences of their people. Sounds a bit cliche but I changed it up. You're a Martian," I smirked as his face fell.

"I'm a...what?"

"Martian."

"You didn't."

"But I did," I nodded, my smirk threatening to turn into a big laugh.

"Minerva!"

"Kaeya remains of the monsoon and the moon."

"Why'd you make me a Martian?"

"Because I thought it'd be funny...and I knew it'd tick you off."

"Minerva!"

I started to laugh, "I'm really not sorry, though."

He sighed, so crossed yet not uttering another word for a minute or two as he skimmed a few pages, "Is that Martha?" he pointed at a paragraph that contained her name.

"Yes, it is. You can't expect me not to write in my best friend."

"I don't see a Minerva in here," and he skimmed more pages, "Why not?"

"Um...there was no purpose for one," I shrugged.

I did think of writing myself into the story but it actually pained me to write myself in a story where I still couldn't have the Doctor. Instead, I made Martha Kaeya's best friend, and the Doctor the one she loved...which she did.

"There's always a purpose for one," the Doctor mumbled as he continued his search for a name that would never pop up.

"Not in here there wasn't," I sighed, "But I think it turned out really well if you wanna give it a proof read before I turn it in."

"I'd love to," he handed back the journal.

"What?"

"Read it to me," he gestured, "The author should read her own work."

"Is my audience going to listen or cut me off at the end of each sentence?"

He raised a hand, making a promise, "I shall wait until the end to give my opinions."

"And constructive criticism? Because it'd be really useful. My writing grades aren't that hot right now, so...yeah?"

He nodded, "Til the end."

"Okay then, I hope Kaeya likes this. I know she thought Earth's fairy tales weren't good because they were unlikely. But, I believe I wrote her one that maybe she could dream up where she is. And in this story, she gets a happy ending."

He looked at me for a moment, making me question whether I had angered him or not, "You did that for her?" he asked quietly.

I nodded, "Yeah. She deserved a good ending and in this one she'll get it. Hopefully this is one fairy tale she'll like."

He smiled, "You did that for her...you're incredible."

I smiled, looking at my notebook to hide my blush, "Am I now..."

"Let's see, you listened to my ridiculous fantasy with a princess, went with me through a cave we had no idea what we'd find, but most of all made me see that I wasn't to blame for her death. And on top of that, you wrote a story about us. Yeah, you're incredible."

"You always say such things..."

"Because you always do such things."

"Well, thank you," I exhaled a bit shakily that I hoped he hadn't noticed, "So, shall I read?" he nodded, gesturing for me to begin, "Alright..."

But as I read, through the biggest smile I think I ever had, I felt his look on me the whole time.

And I hoped Kaeya would forgive me because I truly loved the attention I received from him and even if she were to pop around any time, things wouldn't change. I'd still enjoy his attention. But I promised myself one thing, and I intended to do so: if Kaeya was alive, and she returned, I would leave the TARDIS for good. Because under no circumstances would I be a third wheel again.

No more.

#ocappreciation #doctor who fics #10th doctor fics #doctor who #10th doctor #oc: Minerva Souza #oc: Kaeya Louvier #fic: next stop eveywhere

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flightfoot · 5 years ago

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Commodury Chapter 2

First Chapter

“George! Martha!” I cried in relief.

My caduceus had been stolen AGAIN. While I could have sent some demigods on a short quest to retrieve it like I did last time, it wouldn’t have been nearly as effective. As my symbol of power, I could vaguely sense its location, but it wasn’t exact by any means. Between that, the caduceus moving around, AND the fact that I didn’t know who stole it this time... well without a prophecy pointing the demigods to its location, I didn’t expect to get it back anytime soon without retrieving it myself.

Besides, being teased about losing my Caduceus was the LEAST of my worries. With Apollo’s punishment...

I sighed. Zeus had recently decided to turn Apollo mortal and toss him to Earth. Again. For the third time. Never let it be said that Father is CREATIVE with his punishments.

I wasn’t too worried at first - Apollo had been through this twice before, and he’d been alright both times. Heck, the second time he even picked up a boyfriend during the ordeal - but something was different this time. It had never taken this LONG to turn Apollo mortal before. And no one had been allowed to see Apollo during his ‘preparation’, not even Artemis. She’d talked to me about it recently. She hadn’t even been able to sense Apollo properly since Zeus started turning him mortal. With none of us knowing where Apollo was or how he was doing... well I’d been getting antsy. Artemis tried to hold it together, but I’d known her long enough to know it was a front. Those two were really close. As much as they ribbed and teased each other, they cared about each other a lot.

I shook myself. Worrying about Apollo would get me nowhere. Right now I had to focus on my own problems.

Namely, freeing my caduceus.

Martha finally roused herself from her stupor. Alarm bells went off in my head. She should NOT be this exhausted. What had the thief done to my snakes?!

“Hermes... run...”

What?

I turned around and prepared to book it. Contrary to popular belief, I DO sometimes listen to other people. And right now, Martha telling me to run in THAT tone of voice? Made her one of those people.

I got two feet away. Then some sort of leash seemed to activate. As much as I pulled and tugged, I couldn’t get free.

I tried to turn into pure essence and get away that way. I couldn’t do it. Not that I expected that to work. Anyone who was strong enough to trap a god in the first place would plan for that move.

Well if I couldn’t run AWAY, maybe I could...

I lunged at my caduceus. No luck. The leash tightened the rest of the way, leaving me unable to move.

I was trapped.

And no one knew where I was.

No one except my captor.

I looked around wildly. Evil god trappers typically LOVED to gloat.

I wasn’t surprised when a man stepped out of the shadows, smirking.

I WAS surprised at WHO the man was.

“Commodus?” I asked, confused.

Wasn’t he dead? Like a LONG time ago?

Yes, he’d definitely died. I remembered comforting Apollo after he’d come to me crying about needing to kill him.

Yet here he was, clearly not dead.

Did he come through the Doors of Death?

I narrowed my eyes. No...

I paled. Had he really...?

“So you’ve noticed,” he told me, flashing his teeth. “I wondered whether you other gods would realize.”

“Let me go or BE DESTROYED!” I bellowed, trying to keep the fear off my face. It was a bluff of course. I couldn’t move a muscle, I couldn’t manipulate my essence, the most I COULD do was talk. Or scream, in this case. But hey, I could try. Maybe having a god screaming in his face about the doom he’d brought down on himself would be enough to get him to reconsider.

I could dream, couldn’t I?

“Hm. You know what? I’ll take my chances.”

He strolled into the room.

“You know, I wanted to go full glitz and glam in this room. Lots of lights! Tigers jumping through flaming rings! A band heralding my triumph over one of the Olympian gods! But alas, Medea said that would ruin the trap. It’s worth it though, to see you like THIS.”

He moseyed over to me.

“You’re one of the people Apollo cares most about, aren’t you?”

I stayed silent. What was Commodus playing at?

Dread trickled down my back.

He approached, reaching up to touch my head.

I spit at him.

Rage filled his eyes.

Then they went cold.

I became completely paralyzed. I couldn’t even blink.

He drew back a fist.

“I”

He swung.

“Don’t”

I felt something break. Had he reduced my durability with the spell as well, or was he simply THIS powerful as a god?

“Think”

I wanted to cough up ichor. I NEEDED to cough up ichor. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t move even enough for that automatic reaction.

“You”

Commodus seemed to take my lack of response as an indication that he hadn’t hurt me enough.

“Understand”

He hit me again.

“The”

And again.

“Position”

And again.

“You’re

All the while my face remained rigid and impassive, unable to show the pain I was in.

“In.”

It would’ve been funny how futile the efforts to make me crack were, if I were able to laugh right then.

After a few more minutes of him wailing on me and my still not reacting, he stopped and stormed out. I would’ve breathed a sigh of relief if I could, you know, BREATHE.

Martha lifted her head. “I’m sorry, Hermes...” she rasped.

I would have reassured her - it was MY fault this happened, for losing the caduceus, for letting her and George fall into Commodus’s hands - but again, I couldn’t even open my mouth.

I wondered, was this how Ares felt all those long months in the jar?

No. He could yell and scream at least. I didn’t even have that.

But then again, he’d had to sit there, screaming, waiting for help that didn’t come for over a year.

Would I be left to languish that long?

No. No, I couldn’t go down that road. It would do no good.

And so I waited, trying desperately not to think.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I didn’t know how long it had been. There was no way to tell time in that small room. It felt like forever.

I could feel myself slowly weakening, strength leaving my limbs. Not that it mattered. They were as frozen as the rest of me.

Then SHE entered.

I tried to glare at her as best I could while totally frozen.

“Hmmph.”

She strutted over to me, cupping my chin in her hands.

“Oh, how the gods have fallen,” she tutted. “You know, it’s a pity Caligula is set on being the new sun god. I could have you dissolved and ready to feed to him in a matter of hours.

DISSOLVED?!

I’d considered that one day I may fade. It wasn’t something I LIKED to dwell on, but it had crossed my mind more than once. Scattering seemed more likely, with the wars recently. I’d tried to ignore it, but with as strong as Typhon had been, it was a real possibility.

But what she was describing sounded way, WAY worse than that.

“I suppose we’ll just have to make use of you in a different way,” she declared, sounding uninterested.

I wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or not. On the one hand, I wasn’t going to be ‘dissolved’, whatever THAT meant. On the other hand, I had a feeling that whatever she had planned would be worse.

She played with my hair, running her hair through it, then cupping my chin in her hands, forcing me to look up at her. Unlike last time, I couldn’t spit at my harasser. I didn’t have the capability.

“Caligula may not want to be the messenger god, but we still need to control communications. Split up the demigods and strike when they least expect it, when they’re unable to call for aid. But in order to do that...”

She approached my Caduceus - approached George and Martha.

I wanted to scream, cry, ANYTHING to take her attention off of my companions. off of my closest friends.

She stroked George. He hissed weakly, but couldn’t do anything else.

She looked back at me. “I needed both you AND your Caduceus. Your Symbol of Power.”

She smiled. I wished I could punch her teeth out. “I don’t limit myself to only Greek or Roman magic. No. If you want to manipulate gods, there are few fields better to study than Egyptian mythology.”

At this point my mind started spewing expletives. The Egyptian Magicians had found ways to control, absorb, and banish their gods. If she had studied their magic and combined some of their knowledge with her own - well I couldn’t say that being dissolved seemed MERCIFUL in comparison exactly, but it seemed like it may be the least worst option compared to whatever she had planned.

“A Symbol of Power like this makes for a good stand-in. It’s even more powerful than a shabti would be in these circumstances. I COULD use it to destroy you completely... but we have better plans. You’re going to work for us. Though I suppose calling it ‘you’ might not be entirely accurate. With what I’m about to do with you... well a mortal’s mind would be destroyed forever, even if they could somehow be freed from the spell. Whether a GOD could withstand it... well. I’d say that it would be interesting to find out, but we’re not planning on ever letting you go free, so it’s a moot point.”

She started chanting, a golden light surrounding my Caduceus.

My mind broke.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Oh Commodury~ be a dear and kill these four. As painfully as possible.”

Master had called for me.

I flew in.

When Master called, I answered.

That was my reason for existence.

I looked down on the four Master had ordered to be killed. I had no opinions on them. Opinions were for masters, not slaves. Master had ordered for them to die, and so they would.

Yet I knew that he didn’t REALLY want me to go after them right that moment. I could feel the true intentions of Master’s words. It was part of how he made me such a great slave; since I knew what he wanted, there was no chance of my misinterpreting his wishes.

I was glad for it - as much as a slave could be glad. It made me better at serving Master. That was all that mattered.

One of the four seemed especially horrified at seeing me. He dropped his bow. Not that it made a difference. I could overpower him, weapon or no weapon.

“Mercury...?”

Wait, what?

Mercury... that was my name.

No. No, my name was Commodury. Master had named me himself. I couldn’t be this “Mercury”.

So why wouldn’t the thought leave my head?

Master laughed. I didn’t like it.

Didn’t like...? Slaves don’t have opinions. Slaves SHOULDN’T have opinions. They CERTAINLY didn’t have NEGATIVE opinions of anything about their masters.

So what did that make me?

“Oh no. Not anymore. He’s MINE now. He won’t respond to that name anymore. He is - and as far as he knows - as far as he’s aware of ANYTHING - he always was, and always will be, nothing but Commodury. Isn’t that right, dear?”

Master was right of course. Master was always right. I gave him the response I could feel he wanted. What was expected of me.

“That is correct, Master.”

The boy seemed to grow even more horrified at that. I didn’t like it. I didn’t want him to feel that.

I didn’t understand WHY though. He was no Master. I knew that. Master had ordered me to kill him.

But I... didn’t want to?

“How perfect,” my Master hissed. I was growing to hate his voice. “Do you know what it feels like to be killed by someone you loved? To be killed by someone you thought would never harm you. Do you know how it FEELS?!”

To be killed... by someone he loved?

I... was someone he loved?

But I was a slave. I was a tool. Nothing more. To be used at Master’s pleasure. For whatever he wished of me.

It made no sense for someone to love me.

It made no sense for me to CARE that someone loved me.

Master continued speaking. “Oh, and if he ever DOES manage to get free, he’ll have to live with the knowledge that he killed you himself. And YOU’LL... well I guess you won’t really be around anymore, now will you?”

I wasn’t paying much attention to him at that point, eyes locked on the boy. The one who dropped the bow. I could feel Master wanting me to follow through on the orders now, to kill the boy and his three companions as horrifically as possible. But I didn’t want to.

I didn’t move.

“Commodury. Kill them. NOW.”

I moved. I didn’t have a choice. Whatever Master ordered, I had to obey. Especially when said like THAT.

But I didn’t want to. I really, really didn’t want to.

I focused on the girl with the sword. Master hadn’t specified WHICH of them to kill first after all. And even his mental orders were fairly vague, though they pointed more towards killing the boy with the bow - or without the bow now, since he’d dropped it.

I struck at the girl. She parried every blow. Somewhere inside, I felt a hint of...satisfaction maybe? I wasn’t upset that she was stopping me from fulfilling my orders.

Then the music started.

I heard the boy sing of Hermes sneaking out, defying rules.

Sing of... myself breaking the rules?

Yes. I was a rule-breaker. A mischief maker.

What was I DOING?

I slowed my attacks. I didn’t want to attack this girl. I didn’t want to follow orders.

“YOU USELESS IDIOT! YOU INCOMPETENT EXCUSE FOR A GOD! KILL THEM!” Master bellowed.

Master?

I was Hermes. I was Mercury.

I had no master.

The boy sang of my cattle theft, of the trick I pulled to keep anyone from discovering where I’d hidden my ill-gotten gains. He sang of my creation of the lyre, and how I’d exchanged it for his Caduceus and eternal friendship.

Lyre... Caduceus...

Apollo?

I froze. Commodus continued screaming. I ignored him as best I could, my head pounding.

Apollo. The boy was Apollo.

My friend. My BROTHER.

He’d come.

He was weak, mortal, no divine power left as far as I could tell, but he’d COME.

“Apollo...?” I whispered. “You’re here...”

“Mercury! Hermes!” he shouted.

Hearing my names - my TRUE names - lessened the pounding in my head a little.

But Commodus caught onto the problem.

“YOU. ARE. MINE.” he snarled.

I doubled over.

You are Commodury. You are a slave. You belong to me. You have no will except to please me.

I... what was I doing? Why wasn’t I obeying Master? Master must ALWAYS be obeyed.

NO!

“Leave...” I forced out. “Leave... please. I... can’t.... hold him off... much longer....”

I couldn’t hold off Commodus much longer, couldn’t maintain my identity for long.

But maybe I could hold him off long enough to save my brother.

I HAD to.

“GO!” I screamed.

I hoped he heeded my warning.

You are Commodury You are a slave obey Master please Master KILL THESE KIDS-

I’m sorry Apollo. I can’t hold him back any longer.

I’m sorry.

I’m....

...

I’m Commodury. I am a slave. I obey Master’s orders.

He wants me to pursue and kill these intruders.

And so I must obey.

But there are too many of them. I can’t find the real ones.

The fakes vanish after a few minutes.

I failed my Master.

I flew back to him. He already knows.

Anger flashes in his eyes.

“You have been a very naughty boy, Commodury,” he whispers.

I didn’t know what he was talking about.

I didn’t matter.

Master was displeased with me.

His pleasure was everything to me.

“You disobeyed me.”

I did?

Master said it, so it must be true.

“I think you need another lesson on WHO IS IN CHARGE!”

He tackled me to the ground, punching me repeatedly.

I did nothing to stop him.

Slaves don’t fight back.

Whatever Master does is right and just.

He stabbed my legs repeatedly, golden ichor coating his blade.

I gasped in pain.

You deserve this.

Master kept stabbing, going up my torso. More and more ichor poured out, until it almost looked like a waterfall.

You deserve this.

He stopped stabbing once he got to my neck.

“Commodury! Get up!” he yelled.

Slowly, I got to my feet, my legs and torso screaming. The pain was unbearable.

I bore it anyway.

You deserve this.

He had me walk over to a pool.

“Lay down in it,” he ordered.

I did so.

He sat down on the edge of the shallow pool and forced my head under, squeezing my neck until it felt like it was about to pop off.

All the while I watched my Master mouth, You deserve this. You deserve this.

And I did.

I was Commodury.

I deserved anything Master did to me.

...Didn’t I?

#Commodury #trials of apollo #hermes #commodus #apollo #fanfiction

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feelssogoodinmyarms · 6 years ago

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Spring Awakening at U of A

Hey wueens so as you know i saw God’s show, Spring Awakening, at U of A last weekend. This is a long ass review so strap in.

The audience was like 90% elderly people

it was a preview maybe a senior center bought out the show

WENDLA ROSE OUT OF THE STAGE BEFORE MAMA WHO BORE ME IT WAS AMAZING

Wendla had amazing voice

Adult woman had awesome hair it was all done up in some intricate style with these curly tendrils in the front

the dresses!!! all the girls had the prettiest dresses it was so well costumed!!!

They did the handheld mics during the songs but they made it work it wasn’t that awkward

i tried to guess who was who with the girls and i got them right wow my mind

Moritz was very attractive and tall

His hair got taller as the show went on

We love evolution

Bitch of living was v angreyyy i approve

They kinda thrusted into the chairs we love metaphors

Moritz’s voice was fantastic

When Thea said he’s such a RADICAL everyone FALLS DOWN like it wasn’t just swooning it was very extra we love that

There was definitely something between Thea and Anna they were always holding hands and teasing each other it was so cute

The girls were on the steps during the Desdemona monologue ad wend and Ilse were leaning against each other like swaying idk it was cute

Thea and Anna also sang their my junk solos to each other

Hanschen continued to jerk it through Georg’s parts with Frauline gbh which is dedication and perseverance at it’s finest

Also Frauline G left before the last verse of my junk and she like blew Georg a kiss and it was funny you had to be there

Melchior and Moritz were pretty gay in Touch Me

They did the thing where Melchior moves Moritz’s hands down his body and my brain short circuited a little

They omitted the gay choreo with everyone else though which is sad

There was an understudy on for Otto and he killed his solo

Georg MURDERED ME with those riffs at the end WOW

Anna and Thea did some ballet looking stuff at the end of touch me it was really pretty

Melchior talked in a different voice around Wendla, kind of like someone who’s trying to sell you something

Melchior always initiated whether it was kissing, holding hands, etc.

so Martha!!!! Is!!! A powerhouse!!!!! she was so good in The Dark I Know Well like i got chills. her voice was amazing.

Thea, Anna, and Wendla watched Martha sing for a little bit (she was up with the orchestra)

Anna and Thea left (holding hands, may I add) but Wendla stayed for a little longer before walking off

Thea and Anna came and sang the last part of tdikw

Still holding hands

Wendla didn’t which ties into the whole “I’ve never been beaten before” thing

All the boys besides Melchior circled the girls during the end of the song

It was during the “I Passed” scene that I realize I know the guy who played Georg from high school. Congrats to him on getting the lead (he’s @its-webbin-time go follow him)

Martha handed Wendla the switch

It was not thin at all it looked like a baguette

Imagine being hit with something that thick yikes

Georg and Otto gave me chills with their little woyb reprise

Moritz did this anxious thing with his feet when he read the letter during And Then There Were None

He was so angry and frustrated I loved it

Mirror Blue Night was listed as “Mirror Blue Light” in the program for some reason

The consent in the hayloft scene was pretty dubious. I’m proud of the director for realizing Wedekind’s intent (I’ve known the director since I was 11. If you’re reading this, hi Hank!)

The wendla/melchior relationship was portrayed as romantic for the most part though

I didn’t see any nudity in “I Believe” but I talked to the director and apparently there was some ass but I didn’t see it from where I was

I wished Moritz’s hair was bigger in Don’t Do Sadness; it wasn’t as crazy as it could have been

They were facing toward the audience with the mic stands like in obc

Ilse didn’t like artists colony but kept trying to find something positive

When Ilse said “brush your hair and curl it” she reached out in front of her and Moritz reacted and like smiled it was cute

Moritz really wanted to go with her, I almost thought he would for a moment

He lit the letter on fire and waved it kinda slowly it was so pretty

I can’t remember if they do that in the obc I haven’t watched it in a while

I tensed up when Moritz put the gun in his mouth the actor was so good

Same hole in the stage they used for Moritz’s grave during left behind

Ilse left the bouquet of flowers she was carrying on stage after dds and everyone took a few and put them in grave during left behind it was a nice touch

Otto took off his glasses at Moritz’s grave

Ernst glared at Herr Stiefel when he went up to the grave

Totally fucked was HYPE HOOOOO

A good number of people left at intermission and there were two seats right up front. I should have gone down to them because the cast sang right to the people in the front row

I missed my chance to get close to the handsome and talented Jared as Georg and I will have to live with this regret all my life

Anna did a cartwheel

Hanschen started off the vineyard scene kinda arrogant and show-offish if that makes sense

But by the end it was so soft lemme tell you

Ernst had his knees hugged into his chest, like he was really shaken by what happened with Moritz

i’ve never seen him done like that but i liked it

After Hansi said why not? instead of kissing Ernst’s mouth he went for the cheek and like trailed down Ernst’s neck i DIED

AND AFTER THEY FINISHED SINGNG HANS GAVE HIM SWEET PECK ON THE MOUTH

thank you to Hank Stratton for giving the gays rights

When the doctor tells Frau Bergmann about Wendla’s pregnancy he mouthed “Wendla’s pregnant” and had this incredibly judgemental look on his face

Wendla screamed MAMA as the abortionist dragged her away and i felt it in my chest ugh

Mo and wend came back in white during those you’ve known and Moritz had the same lil crosses on his pants as he did on the school uniform

i appreciated the attention to detail

Also the cast sat around the stage on chairs or the floor watching most of the scenes

Looking at the program— Thea was the dance captain and Anna was the fight captain

So it was pretty fire I recommend seeing it if you’re in Tuscon, Arizona anytime soon. Here’s the stage:

(Note the scoldings written on the stage and the chairs on the cealing!!)

And the article about it in the paper:

#the saddest part is that i didnt know it was jared during bol or when he got those sweet sweet frauline gbh lips #spring awakening #moritz stiefel #sa #melchior gabor #wendla bergmann #hanschen rilow #ernst robel #ilse neumann #martha bessel #otto lammermeier #georg zirschnitz #thea #thea rilow #anna #anna wheelan #marianna wheelan #university of arizona #u of a

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k-dot-ham-blog · 5 years ago

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**SPOILERS FOR SEASON 3**

Okay, so here’s the deal. I really like the handmaid’s tale. I think it’s incredible both in terms of its relevancy and as a show in its own right, independent of current events. What drew me about it was its realistic nature. The aspect of the show that makes it so incredibly chilling is the fact that it’s literally half a step away from a reality that’s not so distant. That kind of shit is terrifying. Just based on that fact alone, on the fact that such a disturbing dystopia is literally a stone’s throw away from our reality, makes it one of the scariest shows I’ve ever seen.

So like… what’s going on with season three?? Why is an utterly terrifying quasi-reality not enough anymore for the show runners and writers? Why do the handmaids in DC gruesomely mutilated faces when this isn’t the case anywhere else in the country? Why does June have to have a borderline demonic look in her eyes all of a sudden whenever she looks into the camera? Why, all of a sudden, can I not follow what exactly is happening? Why do the “punishments” that the handmaids are made to suffer seem not to make any logical sense anymore? That wasn’t always the case I mean, look at seasons one and two. Janine was defiant, and she lost an eye. Emily had an affair with a Martha and was forcibly circumcised. Serena read from the Bible and lost a finger. Anytime a handmaid spoke out of turn, she was tased with an electric cattle prod.

Now?

June gets pissed at Ofmathew and encourages all of her handmaid friends to shun her. Then she tells aunt Lydia about their conversation regarding her unborn baby, and they all shame her. Something that has been encouraged in the show up to now. (Hell, they’d even been encouraged to stone each other.)

So Ofmathew has a nervous breakdown and ends up brain-dead, and now, for some reason, June has to stay on her knees at the foot of her hospital bed until there is a baby because of the “way she treated her”? How does that make any sense?!

I mean, let me be clear, none of this show is sensible or logical in the sense where everything is blown out of proportion and extreme. That’s kind of the point. But… There is no in-universe logic to this. At all. I don’t understand why June is being punished. What did she do wrong in the eyes of the society that she lives in? I guess you could make the argument that she made Ofmathew feel like shit, but Lydia didn’t exactly stop her. So where’s the crime?

And while we’re talking about the hospital mess, let’s take a moment to examine the literal hospital mess.

Like I said before, this show is already scary. So why does it feel more like a horror movie than a dystopian society all of a sudden? Why are they spending so much time graphically depicting June going insane, creepily humming to herself and hallucinating and trying to kill people and pricking herself on contaminated medical equipment and crawling around the floor of the hospital like is some kind of dybbuk straight out of The Unborn?

Also, whatever happened to the Nichole/Serena-character-development storyline? Wasn't that kinda a big deal????

There’s no need for this. It’s just gratuitous. And it’s ruining the real, subtle scariness of the world of Gilead by trying to become a horror movie.

Allow me to quote Janine: “You’re different. I don’t like it.”

Ugh.

#the handmaid's tale #the handmaids tale spoilers #the handmaids tale season 3 #blessed be the fight #tht

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wrestlingisfake · 6 years ago

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All In preview

This is the big independent show everyone’s been talking about. Several big promotions have allowed their talent to do this show, but none of them are directly running this show. Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks are promoting this out of their own pockets, which is pretty amazing when you think about it.

This all came about because some guy on Twitter asked Dave Meltzer asked if Ring of Honor could run a 10,000-seat venue and Dave was like “not anytime soon” and Cody was like “I’ll take that bet.” Then everyone was like “what market is going to have enough hardcore fans to fill a building that big?” and Chicago was like “hold my beer” and the place sold out in 30 minutes. So yeah, fuck Wrestlemania going to New York and Florida all the time, we’re gonna do our own Wrestlemania with indy guys and stupid storylines off of Youtube!

This will be airing live on pay-per-view, ROH’s Honor Club service, and Fite.tv, with a one-hour pre-show on WGN America. September 1, 6pm Eastern/5pm local.

Nick Aldis vs. Cody Rhodes - This is for the NWA world heavyweight championship, which Aldis won last year--the same title Cody’s father held in 1979, 1981, and 1986.

Aldis is probably best known as Magnus for his run in TNA, where he held what is now the Impact world title. (He also held the Global Force Wrestling world title for most of that group’s existence.) Cody is, of course, a former ROH world champion and WWE intercontinental champion; he’s a top act in ROH and part-time special attraction with New Japan Pro Wrestling. He’s also one of the promoters of this show, which may or may not give away the finish.

The great irony here is that “independent wrestling” used to mean “wrestling unaffiliated with an NWA member,” but now the NWA has no members, which means it has the most prestigious championship that is truly independent of the major players today. The current NWA business model, under Billy Corgan, is to fly the champion around to other people’s indy shows, resembling the old-school pattern of Harley Race or Ric Flair coming to an NWA territory once or twice a year. Since this show isn’t being promoted by a group with its own world champion, it’s a perfect fit for that model. So it’s a good thing Aldis got booked, because if he hadn’t the NWA would’ve looked pretty bush-league.

The main story here is that Cody and Corgan arranged this title match without consulting Aldis. Aldis then tried to hold out for added incentive to defend the title, suggesting that if Cody regained the ROH world championship they could have a double title match. Cody came up short, but still managed to goad Aldis into accepting the challenge. Obviously the crowd for this show is going to be solidly behind Cody simply for making this show possible, and moreover they’re going to be into the angle that Cody has a chance to recreate one of his father’s career highlights.

I don’t foresee a lengthy NWA title reign for Cody, since his obligations to ROH and New Japan probably don’t line up with Corgan’s business plans. However, if I was Corgan, I’d want to get the belt on Cody while he’s the talk of the wrestling world. At the very least, I’d want to set up a Cody/Aldis program to run through October’s NWA anniversary show and maybe even the ROH/NJPW Madison Square Garden show in April. So a title change makes sense, but it’d depend on a lot of things falling into place behind the scenes, so it’s not a lock either. In the end, though, this is a bad weekend to bet against Cody.

Kenny Omega vs. Pentagon, Jr. - Omega holds the IWGP heavyweight championship--the top title of New Japan--but the title is not at stake here. Penta works all over the place but is probably best known from AAA and Lucha Underground. His biggest accolade is possibly the LU championship, but he also briefly held the Impact Wrestling world title earlier this year.

This is easily the biggest dream match that this show could book. To the average US wrestling fan, Omega is the hottest guy in Japan and Penta is the hottest guy out of Mexico. But since Penta’s never really been to NJPW or ROH, and since Omega’s never really been to AAA or Impact, there’s never been a way to book this match on a big show...until now.

I don’t really know anything about Pentagon except that he’s fucking scary, dude, and I’m pretty stoked to finally see what this cat’s deal is. Omega has made a name for himself delivering some of the best matches of the decade, but Penta is a brawler so this won’t be a wrestling clinic. It should be a unique spectacle, worthy of this one-of-a-kind event.

I feel like New Japan would not authorize this appearance if their champion was going to lose, so I would be very shocked if Penta wins.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Marty Scurll - Okada isn’t quite the ace of NJPW, but he’s getting there, especially after a record-setting 720-day run with as IWGP champion. Scurll is a junior heavyweight in NJPW, but in ROH he’s approaching the main event level, and if he sticks around long enough he’ll probably become their world champion. In Japan, heavyweights and junior heavyweights almost never compete against one another one-on-one, so this match is automatically a rarity.

Scurll is sort of just there in the grand scheme of things, but within the context of a 10,000 indy wrestling fans in Bullet Club shirts, he’s practically the second coming of Christ. Between the quality of his opponent, the historic nature of the event, the favorability of the crowd, and the timing of his peak popularity, this could be the match of Scurll’s life. But that said, he’s bound to lose, because I can’t imagine New Japan allowing an upset to disrupt their pecking order among the weight classes. That’s fine with me, because while everyone else will be whooping for Scurll, I’ll be there to see Okada.

Rey Mysterio & Fenix & Bandido vs. Kota Ibushi & Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson - Fenix is the brand-new AAA heavyweight champion. Mysterio is a former WWE champion and the current champion of Mexico’s #3 group, The Crash. There isn’t much info (at least, not in English) on Bandido except that he’s worked in CMLL, AAA, and various smaller promotions. Aside from being a finalist in NJPW’s G1 Climax tournament this year, Kota Ibushi is legendary for his high-risk style and his preference to be a freelancer rather than commit to a single company. Nick and Matt, the Young Bucks, are currently the IWGP heavyweight tag team champions, and have become synonymous with the post-ironic style that has defined the modern age of indy wrestling.

There really isn’t a story or direction to this match beyond getting all these guys in the ring at the same time to work with each other. The Bucks do their spots with everyone in the indies, this is their big special show, and so as a special treat they’re going to do their shit with Rey and Fenix. Ibushi seems to be here because Kenny Omega is occupied elsewhere, and to get his last chance to work with Rey before Mysterio returns to WWE. Bandido seems to be here primarily to do the job, which kinda suggests Ibushi and the Bucks are winning.

Hangman Page vs. Joey Janella - Page is one of the lesser white guys in Bullet Club, but he had a decent run in the G1 Climax recently, and it seems like he’s starting to move up in the world. Janella is best known for a) Joey Janella’s Spring Break, GCW’s Wrestlemania weekend event and b) a 2016 match with Zandig where they did an insane rooftop bump into a pickup bed filled with glass and barbed wire. This is being billed as a Chicago street fight, which could mean anything really but generally means no count-outs, no disqualifications, so you can fight all over the place, but you still have to score a fall in the ring.

The, uh, storyline in this match is that Page, yeesh, either murdered Joey Ryan or believes that he did. Joey Ryan is arguably the most popular American indy wrestler who is not booked on this show, and he’s conspicuous by his absence since a good chunk of the build for this show is about his fate. Anyway, Page is, uh, afraid to wear his cowboy boots because they keep...well...talking to him about how he’s going to kill “another Joey,” apparently meaning Janella. So yeah, the big idea is that it’s significant that Ryan and Janella have the same first name. It’s like that whole “Martha” thing in Batman v. Superman, only dumber. This is what happens when the main television for your show is Being the Elite, which is slightly less absurd than Southpaw Regional Wrestling or Z! True Long Island Story.

In any case, Page is suitably deranged enough to brutalize Janella, which means Janella has sufficient motivation to go sickhouse on Page. These two ought to give us a good brawl and some nasty hardcore spots. Dave Meltzer seems to think this could steal the show, and I wouldn’t go that far, but it might have everyone talking afterwards, if only for sheer wtf-ness. I’m not sure it matters who wins, but Page is the one who’s friends with the promoters so I’d bet on him.

Jay Lethal vs. the winner of Over Budget Battle Royal - Lethal (probably best known for his Randy Savage impression in TNA ten years ago, and a sexual harassment scandal this summer) is defending the Ring of Honor world title against whoever wins the battle royal in the pre-show. Since the battle royal includes at least one woman, there’s at least a chance this could become an intergender match. This is the biggest match on the show that does not involve any members of Bullet Club, although I suppose the battle royal winner could, like, join Bullet Club or something.

Being the Elite has been setting up the idea that Lethal’s “Black Machismo” persona is re-emerging, so the big angle for this match is the hype that Lethal might bring that stuff back. I don’t know how that will play off of whoever wins the battle royal, but I guess they have some crazy idea.

For historical purposes, a title change at this show would be a feather in ROH’s cap. But I don’t expect them to see it that way, or for the battle royal winner to be anywhere close to ROH’s ideal world champion. I’m picking Lethal to retain.

Christopher Daniels vs. Stephen Amell - Daniels has been around so long that he appeared (as a jobber) on both sides of the Monday Night Wars, won the first King of the Indies, held the IWGP junior tag title with Daniel Bryan, and became a founding father in the early history of both ROH and TNA’s “X” division. These days he’s primarily known as the leader of ROH’s SoCal Uncensored faction. Amell plays the superhero Green Arrow on TV, and became friends with Cody Rhodes through Cody’s appearances on that show and a celebrity tie-in match at Summerslam 2015.

During the whole “Joey Ryan was murdered” storyline, Amell was arrested but then later it came out that Daniels framed him. I feel like that should leave Daniels in deep legal shit but I guess we’re not worrying about that.

Amell is looking to prove he can hold his own in the ring despite his limited experience, and Daniels has the challenge of making him look even better than that. I think they’ll probably do fine. That said, I don’t watch Arrow or Being the Elite and I barely even pay close attention to ROH weekly television, so I sure don’t give a fuck about this match. I guess Amell wins.

Tessa Blanchard vs. Madison Rayne vs. Chelsea Green vs. Britt Baker - Blanchard is the reigning Impact women’s champion and WSU world champion; neither title is not at stake. This is presumably a standard four-way where the first wrestler to score a fall wins the match. This is the only women’s match on the card--okay technically Jordynne Grace is in the battle royal but that’s not really the same thing.

Rayne is probably best known for her tenure in TNA/Impact (she held the women’s title five times), although she recently competed in both the ROH Women of Honor tournament and WWE’s Mae Young Classic. Green wrestled as Laurel Van Ness in Impact and is of late appearing in Lucha Underground. Baker has yet to really move up into the bigger indies, so her biggest claim to fame may be as one of the jobbers Nia Jax squashed early in her run on WWE Raw.

There really isn’t anything at stake in this match. In theory a victory over Blanchard would set up a title match, but this isn’t Japan and I don’t know if Impact or WSU will really care who wins here. So it kinda just comes down to whoever Cody and the Young Bucks want to go over. I tend to think that’ll be Blancard since she’s the next big thing in women’s wrestling. Although if somebody’s looking to make a statement about the next next big thing, that could be a case for pushing Green or Baker.

Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe vs. Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky - This is currently scheduled for Zero Hour, the free pre-show. The Briscoes are the current Ring of Honor tag team champions, but as far as I know the title is not on the line. To build for this match, SoCal Uncensored made a video where they’re training like it’s Rocky III. The Briscoes responded with a video in which they can’t really be bothered to watch a damn 12-minute YouTube video, but then they do and they like go all dark and shit like it awoke something inside of them. I don’t understand why every angle for this show has to be like one of those Channel Awesome crossovers where they team up and fight supervillains or whatever.

Anyway, I always kinda dug the Briscoes, it’ll be neat to see ‘em live finally, and I think they’re gonna win.

Over Budget Battle Royal - This is set for the pre-show. Assuming it’s a standard battle royal, the match begins once everyone has entered the ring, and can only end when all but one participant has been eliminated. The last one left is the winner, and qualifies to challenge Jay Lethal for the ROH world title later in the show.

This has been announced as a 15-person battle royal, although I doubt the exact number is a hard requirement. Named participants so far are:

Colt Cabana (ROH)

Moose (Impact Wrestling)

Brian Cage (Impact X division champion)

Jimmy Jacobs (Impact Wrestling)

Punishment Martinez (ROH television champion)

Rocky Romero (New Japan)

Billy Gunn (WWE legend)

Austin Gunn (Billy’s son)

Jordynne Grace (WSU Spirit champion)

Ethan Page (Chandler Park from Impact Wrestling)

Marko Stunt (a very small indy guy)

Brandon Cutler (PWG)

It’s worth pointing out that CZW champion MJF was booked for All In but as of this writing hasn’t been put in a match. So I’m kind of expecting him to end up here, although I don’t see the point of withholding that information until the last minute. Similarly, a huge part of the All In promotion has been Flip Gordon’s failed attempts to get on the show, and it seems ridiculous to resolve that by just not using him anywhere. Also similarly, I can’t believe the “murder” of Joey Ryan is such a big deal with this show and that the actual real live Joey Ryan won’t be wrestling on it. The promotion of All In has been really weird, basically.

Other surprise entrants that I could see happening include Pac (formerly Adrian Neville, who has very recently been released from WWE), and Austin Aries (the Impact world champion). Considering Jordynne Grace is already there, it wouldn’t be a big deal to add additional women. However if there’s any group that I believe Cody and the Bucks want to see more represented in this match, it would be one-note running joke performers like Papa Buck, Cheeseburger, or Chico El Luchador.

The finish here is going to depend on which winner can have the most entertaining title match with Jay Lethal. If we’re talking “biggest match possible,” that’d probably be Brian Cage or (if he’s available) Austin Aries for the “ROH vs. Impact” vibe. If we’re talking “local guy hometown pop,” then Cabana is the obvious choice. But if the plan is to follow through on an angle that’s particularly important to the target audience, then it pretty much has to be someone who hasn’t been announced for the match yet, which means literally anything is possible.

#all in #cody rhodes #the young bucks #kenny omega #pentagon jr #nick aldis #kota ibushi #rey mysterio #kazuchika okada

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